Senator Specter aligns with Schumer over Supreme Court Nominations

A new poll by ABC has found that only fifty-one percent of liberals see the Supreme Court as "too conservative"--but Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is definitely one of them. In a speech last week, Schumer lamented the influence of new Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito. "Alito shouldn't have been confirmed," Schumer said. "There is no doubt we were hoodwinked." To avoid an even more conservative court, he said the Senate shouldn't confirm another Bush Supreme Court nominee "except in extraordinary circumstances." Although no high court vacancies are imminent, Schumer has been known to seize on opportunities like this one raise money for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which he chairs. Meanwhile, he seems to have an unusual partner in judicial skepticism--Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.). After conversations with liberal Justice Stephen Breyer, Specter has said that he'll use his power as ranking member of the Judiciary Committee to "study the decisions of the Roberts Court" to see if the new justices have ignored precedent after promising to respect it. Most legal scholars agree that the Roberts court's first full term was a mixed bag that mostly avoided partisan labels. However, the comments by Senator Specter, who has been an outspoken ally in the GOP's battle to confirm more judges, can certainly be seen as lending a hand to Schumer's calculated attack on the U.S. Constitution. Additional Resources
After campaigning for President Bush solely on the issue of Supreme Court nominations, I was thrilled by the election results of 2004. I called Nelly Gray, director of the March for Life, to share my enthusiasm when she gave me the devastating news that Senator Specter had promised the liberals not to let pro-life judges through the Judiciary Committee.

I wasn't the only one disappointed. Phone calls, faxes. letters, and emails poured into Congress at a rate not seen since 911, according to Senator Lindsay GrahamSC. Pro-lifers felt betrayed by Specter's deceit, after his narrow victory in a primary against a pro-life PA. state legislator Twoomey, especially since Specter had the support of Sen Santorum, and President Bush. We wanted to oust Specter from the Judiciary Committee, and all we got in return was a promise NOT to doom pro-life candidates from Specter. So far, he has kept his promise, but appears to be ready to go back on it now that the Dems seem poised to take over this country.