During the 2004 election season, I supported Republican Senator Arlen Specter over Democratic challenger Joe Hoeffel for a number of reasons, the most important of which was the fact that if Specter — who is pro-choice — lost while the GOP maintained its majority, ultra-conservative Senator Jon Kyl would have become chairman of the Judiciary Committee (as I opined in October).
Upon winning reelection in November, Specter immediately infuriorated conservatives by imploying that an anti-choice nominee would not make it on to the Supreme Court. Although he partially stepped back from the statement, his true convictions were apparent. Now, as The New York Times‘ Sheryl Gay Stolberg reports, Specter is putting these beliefs into action.
In the first hint of how he will steer the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Judge John G. Roberts Jr., Senator Arlen Specter, the Judiciary Committee chairman, said Monday that he would press the nominee for his views on specific cases involving the authority of Congress to pass broad social legislation, a power that Democrats fear will be rolled back by a more conservative court.
continued at my blog Basie! with more analysis
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