Specter in line to be federal court kingmaker

[Mandate My Ass]

Specter in line to be federal court kingmaker

If he wins, he'll head the Judiciary Committee. His "centrist" vow is a sham, his opponent says.

By Steve Goldstein
Inquirer Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - If he wins reelection and the Republicans retain control of the U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter will head the Senate Judiciary Committee and play a pivotal role in the composition of the Supreme Court and selection of federal judges.

The recently disclosed illness of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and the potential retirement of at least two other Supreme Court justices have sharpened the focus on Specter's prospects for becoming committee chairman.

Specter's impending chairmanship of this important panel is in play as an election issue, as challenger U.S. Rep. Joseph Hoeffel (D., Pa.) questions whether Specter would vote to confirm judges outside "the broad mainstream of political thought."

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Hoeffel has attacked Specter as voting for "every right-wing and, in many cases, unqualified appointment to the federal bench" that Bush has made.

"In many cases, women-hating, civil rights-denying, labor-bashing, environment-trashing, unqualified people," Hoeffel said in a recent WHYY radio interview.


Specter, however, said earlier this year that he could envision approving a nominee "where you don't know where they are" on abortion rights. Increasingly, he said, nominees "don't let you know where they are" on the issue.

kingmakerhttp://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/10044297.htm