Specter too liberal to head Judiciary?

WASHINGTON -- Conservative groups say Sen. Arlen Specter is too liberal on issues such as abortion to be the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, but the Pennsylvania Republican on Monday said he wholeheartedly supported past Republican-nominated judicial candidates.

"There may be some people trying to orchestrate a campaign against me, but they can't fight those facts," Specter said.

Specter is in line in seniority to replace Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who will give up the post in January due to term limits. Although Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has more seniority than Specter, Grassley runs the Senate Finance Committee and cannot be chairman of both committees.

The Senate Judiciary Committee could be in the spotlight during President Bush's second term because several Supreme Court justices could retire. The committee will vet candidates Bush may pick to fill federal court vacancies.

But the Family Research Council and other conservative groups are urging committee members not to let Specter become chairman. They said Specter told reporters last week the Senate likely would not confirm conservative judges who would overturn a woman's legal right to abortion.

Specter also denied he warned Bush not to nominate conservatives to be federal judges. Specter, who was just elected to his fifth term, said he also voted for Supreme Court justices nominated by former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.

Specter also noted that he almost lost an election when he fought to get controversial Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas onto the bench in 1991.

Officials at the Republican Main Street Partnership, a moderate GOP group that donated $1.2 million to help Specter win the Republican primary, said the senator's record is strong enough to withstand attacks from more right-wing Republicans.

"His consistent leadership both in Pennsylvania and on the Judiciary Committee is the type of experience and commitment our nation needs as we move forward to address the upcoming issues facing the Senate and the president," said Sarah Chamberlain Resnick, executive director of the group.

Copyright C 2004 Deseret News Publishing Co.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.