Update: Arlen, Arlen, Arlen…
Written by Gary on July 3rd, 2005I was just watching Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer on CNN. Suzanne Malveux was filling in for Blitzer and she asked guest, Sen. Arlen Specter, about his treatment of Robert Bork. I don’t have the exact transcript yet, but Specter responded with something to the effect of,”Bork believed in orginal intent and if we had had it his way, the U.S. Senate would be segregated, with blacks on one side and whites on the other.” Stand by for the actual transcript of the exchange.
This is scary, but, unfortunately, not surprising. Thankfully, Judge Bork, who almost 20 years after being screwed by Specter is still being publicly smeared by this guy, came on with Malveux during the next segment and responded to the senator by saying “the truth is not in him.”
Funny, I also watched Ted Kennedy on ABC this morning and he almost exactly mirrored Specter’s views about Robert Bork. If Specter is truly against strict constructionist judges, we have a big problem on our hands this summer…
UPDATE: Okay here is the precise quote from Specter’s interview on Late Edition yesterday. The full transcript is here
Suzanne Malveaux: “Conservatives who felt like you let Robert Bork out to dry, from what some people said. Have you learned anything from your previous experiences? Will you go in with a different mindset or a different tone when you move forward on these hearings?”
Sen. Specter: “I’ve learned a lot, Suzanne. I’ve learned to study hard, to be prepared and to make up my mind about what questions ought to be asked. I’ve been criticized a lot for questioning Judge Bork on one session for an hour and a half, and he had views which were different from anybody who had ever been nominated before.
He had original intent, and if his original intent stood, we’d still be segregating the United States Senate with African Americans on one side and Caucasians on the other side. And I read what Senator Bork has written about me, and he came into Pennsylvania last spring to campaign for my primary opponent, but I think a fair analysis, and a number of scholars have read my questioning of Senator Bork and thought it was right. Let me finish the answer…”
Robert Bork’s response later in the program: “Oh, yes. I know Specter and the truth is not in him. I have written and he must know it that Brown against Board of Education, the case that ended segregation, was a correct decision. ”
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What a tool. Original intent would include any amendments to the constitution Arlen. How do such dumb people make to the Senate?
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Exactly, one can very assuredly argue from a constitutional view that the 14th Amendment did not permit segregation.
Brown v. Board of Education never explicitly overturned all of Plessy v. Ferguson. My understanding was that the court came to the right conclusion–segregation was unconstitutional–but did so through flawed reasoning, mainly citing sociological and psychological studies that showed segregation to be bad for school children.
http://www.nationalcenter.org/brown.html
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Exactly, “seperate but equal” implies that there were certain locations that black people couldn’t go, but that there were other places they could that were “just as good”. The fact that these other schools/hospitals/stores were equal (or not) is quite irrelevent in my mind since forbiding the use of a location based on race is unconstitutional.
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First off, Mike, you pretentious little punk– RIGHT, because really really “dumb” people go to UPenn and Yale Law. And want to know how they make it to the US Senate? By being OVERWHELMINGLY ELECTED MULTIPLE TIMES by their consituencies.
Specter has been doing nothing but delivering for the administration since his chairmanship. HELLO!!! Judges confirmed!!! And did you see Specter’s name on the gang-of-eleven compromise list?! NO!
and LASTLY, you treacherous jabbering pimp, the man has cancer. ENOUGH SAID. How about some RESPECT for this US SENATOR in the twilight of his career.
eff you, you scum bag tool shed.
Love,
Sarah (R-PA)
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Sarah, I appriciate your “love”, now let me offer some of my own back at ya. As Alex so nicely pointed out, you said nothing to contradict my arguement that Spector doesn’t understand the concept of “original intent”. Secondly Sarah, I can assure you that dumb people do go to UPenn and Yale Law. Where people go to school does not indicate how intelligent they are. I know many people that are smarter than our pal Arlen who never even went to college. You are obviously a party loyalist, every conservaytive across the nation despises Spector for his voting record which is absolute shit.
I am well aware that the man has cancer. What is your point? One day we are all gonna die, I am sorry that Senator Spector’s time is coming a bit sooner than we would all like, but that is life and it certainly doesn’t excuse him from being a slanderous, race-baiting idiot.
Lastly, I am sorry you think that I am a pretentious little punk and a treacherous jabbering pimp as well as a scum bag tool shed that needs to (this is priceless btw) “eff” off. For the record Sarah in the future you can say “fuck you” to me if you feel like it, you don’t have to say “eff”. I checked out your blog and that pretty face don’t match your nasty attitude. But you’re still young, maybe you’ll learn how to be lady from your sorority, maybe not either way I’ll give you a tip: stop putting tons of these !!! behind your comments. I wasn’t anymore convinced.
Love,
Michael Shutze Jr.
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Oh Sarah,
Its not that I think Specter is stupid, and I will be the first to admit he’s done a good job so far this year since we put the fear of God in him losing the Judiciary Chairmanship. The frustration is that you know all those people who worked your phone banks and did your lit drops up in PA for Bush? Well I guarantee that a large reason they did that was so Bush could appoint good judges. Now, if Arlen stands in the way of that he deserves heat like any other Senator who does. If Rick or Brownback stood in the way of good justices we’d do the same thing.
That being said I have no want to personally disparage the Senator as I think there is no doubt he is one of the smartest Senators, but its just too often our fundamental premises are different.
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Good morning!
A) My lovely Alex– my post was not intended to refute the “black-white” comment. I’m not even getting into that. I was just a little offended that Mike felt the need to call my Senator “dumb”, a “tool”, and question how he was elected.
B) Mike, dear Mike… yes, I am a party loyalist, and QUITE proud of it, because if there were none of US to do the dirty work, you wouldn’t have any chance of getting a remotely conservative judge confirmed because the Senate would be 75-25 DEMOCRAT. So how do like them apples?! Secondly, while we’re on the subject of being ladies/gentlemen, I think a gentlemen would know that it is in bad form to call someone names as they are dying. Oh, another thing, I will use whatever syntax and punctuation that I deem appropriate. What do you care anyway?! And lastly, do not EVER hate on my sorority, BITCH.
C) Mark! I love the Mark. Yes, all of those lovely phone bank volunteers did work for that reason. HOWEVER, Arlen has not shown that he would stand in the way of any judges. In fact, word on the street in CONSERVATIVE circles is that Arlen has been delivering and people need to stop giving him a hard time. I’m sure we can debate this more when things heat up, but so far, nothing really bad has happened!
GOP Fo’ Life!!!
Sarah
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Sarah et. al,
Arlen Specter is a disgrace to conservatives, republicans, and Americans because his strategy is to keep Roe v. Wade upheld. Now, just to reiterate, being against Roe v. Wade does not mean that you are against abortion; it means you respect the Constitution of the United States of America.
Clearly Arlen does not respect the US Constitution, as he subverts its meaning and the rights of Americans. He was willing to concede on a few justices (like Scalia), but only to give him leverage to say: “Look I voted for this conservative, now you have to trust me when I vote against Bork.” The moment Roe is on the line, Specter puts up some bullshit about Bork wanting to segregate the government. I know Specter has cancer, but it’s hard for me to feel sorry for a man who exerts his last breaths in order to assassinate the character of innocent men. I know that Bork was shot down by a Democratic Senate, but if Specter hadnt tuck tail and run, there’s a darn good chance the Southern Democrats would have confirmed him.
If Bork had been confirmed, Roe v. Wade would have been overturned because he would have joined Scalia, Thomas, Rehnquist and White. (And no, segregation would not have been reinstated.) Then the issue of abortion could be dealt with at a state level, where it rightfully belongs.
So you see, Sarah, I don’t see Specter as dumb so much as he is an accomplice to evil. Specter is hellbent on keeping abortion legal throughout all 9 months of pregnancy for any reason. So Americans like myself–who believe that combatting the slaughter of 1.3 MILLION innocent human beings is more important than every other issue combined–are not free to work democratically to prevent these deaths because Snarlin’ Arlen is going to do everything in his power to keep a pro-Roe majority.
All my love,
John
p.s. I spent two summers making phone calls for the RNC and that bunch. I dread the thought that my work may have led to an increase in 1 cent to Arlen Specter’s coffers.
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Sarah I try and be nice to you and you call me a bitch. That sort of behavior is not condusive to making friends. I don’t see how you supporting a Republican who votes like a Democrat helps to keep the Senate from being 75-25 Democrat. But anyway, on to me being a gentleman. I am first and foremost a gentleman and there is difference between calling a spade a spade and simply calling someone a “name”. Senator Spector called Judge Bork a racist on TV. That is slander and is an ugly, divise thing to charge. I doubt Arlen Spector could correctly describe what “original intent” even means, hence his ignorance. If Arlen wants the respect given to a dying man then he should go lay in a bed and act like one. If he wants to get on national television and call people racists then I don’t see why I shouldn’t call him an ass since that is what he is being. Having cancer doesn’t shield you from criticism, and why should it?
BTW, I wasn’t hating on your sorority, not at all. Actually I was hoping that they would pass onto you some of the manners that characterize a lady.
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I agree with John. Specter gave us perhaps the worst judge in the history of the Supreme Court - Anthony Kennedy. Kennedy was said to have been with the conservative majority on the court in Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, but switched at the last minute. That decision would have returned the abortion issue to the states, and we would not be having this conversation now. But thanks to Specter we are faced with our own holocaust of sorts in America. I admire your loyalty Sarah, but what is more important to you: the principle of life? or blind allegiance to some pseudo-Republican?
You can do better than this…
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My God, people, control yourselves.
I have a feeling if I commented further, this would just go on… and on… and, well, I have better things to do. Feel free to IM me or something if you want to chat : )
Happy fourth!
Sarah
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oh come on Sarah… i was enjoying the commentary
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Sen. Specter is completely anathema to the American experiment in general, and conservatism in particular. It’s unfortunate that he has taken ill, but he really should have retired if it were such a big problem.
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“GOP fo’ life”
::retching::
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Oh, and for the record… if you really were such a W junkie, I’m surprised you didn’t support Toomey… or perhaps you forgot about the Kerry/Specter signs.
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Sarah is a great operative, although “misguided” lol. She was a Specter “hack”, but if her and I can be friends and I was the Students for Toomey coordinator (read “hack”) than I am sure the rest of you guys can suck it up. LoL
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Oh I like Sarah, except when she calls me a bitch or a pimp or a toolshed or a scumbag or a . . . It’s tough to be friendly Mark, but I am trying to be as nice a guy as you. You are a good influence on me.