Arlen’s Spectacle
by digby
Isn’t this special?
In an interview on Sunday, Mr. Brownback said he was heartened by the hearings. He argued that in the 2004 elections, Republicans had showed Democrats that “we can run on abortion rights and win the public,” adding, “they are trimming their sails some on it.”
The apparent outcome of the Alito nomination may call into question a political assessment that Mr. Specter made after those elections. Mr. Specter said at the time that it was highly unlikely that a Supreme Court nominee who would change abortion rights precedents could be confirmed, in part because of the determined opposition of the Democrats. Some leading Democratic senators publicly agreed.
Conservatives, upset at Mr. Specter’s comment, almost unseated him from the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee.
After the hearings ended on Friday, Mr. Specter said he would vote for confirmation and declined to revisit his earlier comments. But he said it was impossible to know how Judge Alito might vote as a Supreme Court justice. He said abortion rights groups had also opposed Justice David Souter, Justice Anthony Kennedy and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor – all Republican nominees who have voted from the bench to uphold the core abortion rights precedents.
“There are weighty considerations involved in changing Roe v. Wade, very weighty considerations in modifying that principle and a woman’s right to choose,” Mr. Specter said.
This is why everyone should laugh in Arlen Specter’s face when he says this:
A top US Republican senator on Sunday for the first time mentioned impeachment in connection with President George W Bush’s authorisation of electronic surveillance inside the United States without a court warrant.
Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, cautioned it was too early to draw any conclusions as his committee gears up for public hearings into the growing controversy early next month.
But in his appearance on ABC’s “This Week” program, Specter insisted the Senate was not going to give the president what he called “a blank cheque.”
When asked what could happen if lawmakers find Bush in violation of the law, Specter answered: “Impeachment is a remedy. After impeachment, you could have a criminal prosecution, but the principal remedy … under our society is to pay a political price.”
He made it a point to clarify, however, that he was speaking theoretically and was “not suggesting remotely that there’s any basis” for a presidential impeachment at this moment.
[…]
He added that the issue of wartime presidential powers was “a very knotty question” that “ought to be thoroughly examined.”
Specter assured he was prepared to listen to the administration’s explanations, but warned, “I’m going to wear my skepticism on my sleeve.”
Uh huh. This man has run for years as a pro-choice Republican in a swing state. This is probably his last term. And he tossed abortion rights out the window without a second thought. This emerging narrative that Arlen is going to be tough on the administration on these wiretapping charges is total bullshit:
Gonzales said he had agreed with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Republican from Pennsylvania, to testify in hearings on the controversial program that eavesdrops on U.S. phone calls and e-mails.
Gonzales said he would not discuss any operational details at the hearing and would only explain the legal justification.
The testimony will take place in Senate hearings that are expected to be held early next month.
It was unclear whether the judiciary committee would also hear testimony from senior intelligence officials such as the NSA director, Army Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, or Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, the No. 2 U.S. intelligence official who ran the NSA when the eavesdropping program began.
“What we‘re thinking is that this is primarily the attorney general‘s show,” said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because plans for the hearing had not been finalized.
Yeah. Arlen’s in charge allright.
Here’s what’s going to happen. The Republicans will carefully plan and coordinate their strategy. Guys like Jeff Sessions will be in charge of fear-mongering and ad hominem attacks on dissent. Huckleberry Graham will express grave concerns about liberty only to be convinced by the end of the hearing that the gravest threat to the nation is Democratic rudeness. Gonzales will then say this is nothing but a high tech illegal deportation across the Rio Grande. Sam Brownback will offer objections to abuse of presidential power but will concede that it is necessary since godless abortionist terrorists are trying to kill us all in our sleep. His wife will inexplicably start crying and run out of the room. Everyone will agree that Alberto Gonzales has been remarkably forthcoming. Arlen will concede that the constitution does indeed provide for a King.
The Democrats, meanwhile, will take a much needed week long vacation before the hearings. They’ll meet up in the mens room just before they begin, to discuss a strategy. (Dianne will watch the door.) Kennedy will suggest that he attack Gonzales on presidential power and Shumer will snap that he’s sick of Kennedy getting all the good attacks and insists that Kennedy takes that boring Unitary Executive bullshit this time. Biden will request that he lead the questioning which will make Pat Leahy tell him to go fuck himself. Joe will remind the whole group that he once had a phone call overheard in college so he’s been the victim of warrantless wiretapping and can bring the personal touch to the hearings. Feinstein will ask, “what are these hearings about again?” In the end the Democrats will strongly object to Arlen’s conclusions that the constitution provides for a King.
Senator Reid: I’m begging you, man. If there is any way you can move these hearings to another venue, please, please do it. I can’t go through this again so soon.
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