Discussion on Arlen Spector's speech.

[longship]

I just listened to Arlen Spector's speech from this morning on C-SPAN2.

I thought it was the most reasonable thing I've heard for many, many days.

As a hypothetical, what would people think if Spector was able to broker a deal where the parties would release their Senators to vote their consiences?

I like the idea in principle, but I'm concerned about two things.

1. Would the Republicans really release their people?
   
2. CuckooBananas knew that these judges would all meet fierce condemnation from the Democrats. How better to insure that Democrats would fillibuster giving Frist and Co. a justification to do the rule change. It smells like a White House ploy to grab total power.
   

For those reasons I see no chance for success in this. But I felt obligated to write Sen. Spector and encourage him to try. As a liberal Democrat, I don't see the Repugs backing down.

But Spector's speech was a very good one. I wrote him and told him so.

[Nite Owl]

1. It says alot about them

that they cannot vote their consciences and are being told they must do something that they feel is morally wrong.

[housewolf]

2. There's an added factor -

and that's the influence of the right wing extreme religious grouops like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Center (the one that sponsored Justice Sunday a few weeks ago). Basically, these groups "own" Frist and most of the Republican senators. It's their influence thaht's been pushing this thing. There are a few moderates they don't own but even if Frist released the Repub senators, Dobson & co. won't.

[dhuss]

3. I agree...

I saw it this morning too, I don't remember all of it though.

It was a terrific non-partisian speech, I was actually starting to think he wasn't that bad until the end when he started going into all the talking points about Owens. But at first he was telling both sides how it was, and how this whole thing was a lose-lose for the country.

As has been said before, it is a great idea in theory, but who amoung us actually thinks that the repub leadership would ACTUALLY loosen their chain on the moderiates...

Does anyone have a transcript of the speech, if not there should be one in the record by tomorrow, right?

D.H.

[Divernan]

4. Specter talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk.

As one of his PA constituents, I have monitored this man for decades and am here to tell you is a moderate only when Bush doesn't need his vote. He has a standard reply to his moderate and liberal constituents on any close issues where Bush needs his vote. Specter refuses to publicly commit to either side of an issue before the vote, whining about how he is hearing from so many constituents with opposing views on (whatever issue), and that he is looking carefully at both sides of the issue, but he thanks them so much for taking time to contact his office. Then with as little fanfare as possible, he votes with Bush/Frist & the GOP. In case you didn't know, he campaigned in his last Senate race with Bush on one side and Santorum on the other - running in the primary against an openly conservative republican. If you don't think Specter sold what was left of his political soul to get that assistance (and lots of out of state GOP money too), then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

Secondly, it's not a question of the Republican leadership releasing the senators to vote their conscience, because the guiding principle for all Senatorial voting is whether it will cost them their next election. Its the difference between a statesman and a politician. The conservatives who elected these turkeys will never "release them".

Finally, your post assumes that a filibuster by the Dems "giving Frist & company a justification for the rule change." I disagree.
If the Dems had filibustered and blocked 208 nominees and approved only10, there would be justification - but the opposite is true.

[beaconess]

5. Not to mention how he groveled to GOP leadership to get his chairmanship

of the Judiciary Committee. He had to promise them the moon to keep his slot - I have little doubt he'll vote with them when the time comes.

You're right - Specter talks a good game, but he always falls into line. It's quite pathetic since, unlike many of the other Republicans, he really does know better.