With Specter's Fate Imminent, Vigorous Grassroots Opposition Continues

By Jimmy Moore
Talon News
November 17, 2004

The fight over whether Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) will be named the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to be decided soon and conservative grassroots efforts are still being conducted to prevent Specter from attaining this position.

Conservative political action group RightMarch.com said the numerous "calls, faxes, and e-mails" to U.S. senators are "having an impact" on the fate of Specter becoming Senate Judiciary Chairman.

"Our members have sent over 120,000 faxes to all 54 Republican Senators, plus tens of thousands of e-mails have been sent and phone calls made to the GOP members of the committee, demanding that they choose a 'conservative' to head the committee that will decide whether President Bush's judicial nominees will make it to the Supreme Court," RightMarch.com wrote in an e-mail to supporters on Tuesday.

Describing Specter as a "liberal" because of his efforts to defeat President Reagan's conservative Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork in the 1980s, RightMarch.com said Specter is "proud of doing that and he must be stopped from ever doing it again!"

However, with the decision to be made about Specter soon, RightMarch.com is asking its supporters to transition their efforts to Specter's fellow colleague in the U.S. Senate, conservative Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), who is described as "the one man who could have the most impact in keeping this liberal 'Republican In Name Only' from becoming the 'gatekeeper' for judicial nominees."

Asking supporters to provide Santorum with "encouragement" to stand against Specter being granted this chairmanship, RightMarch.com said it hopes to "flood" his office with e-mails, phone calls, faxes, and letters of opposition to Specter.

"The position of chairman is the key position for determining whether conservative judicial nominees will make it through the Senate and onto the bench," RightMarch.com exclaimed. "Specter must be stopped."

But Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said in an e-mail to supporters on Tuesday that he expects Specter will be easily given the chairmanship "despite his militantly pro-abortion views."

"The now-ubiquitous Specter is telling every media outlet that will listen that he has no abortion litmus test and would not presume to warn President Bush on nominees," Perkins commented. "Yet his comments to the contrary a day after the recent election and his lengthy liberal record continue to reverberate in the halls of the U.S. Senate."

Revealing that "several senators have expressed concern about the prospect of a Specter chairmanship," Perkins said one of them was the victim of an aggressive effort against his being confirmed in the past.

"The latest to do so is Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, a Judiciary Committee member who several years ago was denied a federal judgeship because of his conservative, pro-life views and the fierce opposition of Arlen Specter," Perkins recalled.

Perkins noted that Sessions and other GOP Senators believe the Senate Judiciary Committee should not be bestowed upon the Republican with the most seniority on the committee.

"Other members of the Judiciary Committee have refused to give their support to Specter despite pressure to do so," Perkins said.

Realizing a decision about Specter is imminent, Perkins said now is not the time to let up contacting members of the Senate Judiciary Committee urging them to oppose Specter for the chairmanship.

"We will be profoundly disappointed if Specter wins this fight. Please keep up the pressure on the Senate," Perkins proclaimed.