I'm with Hewitt
On the
Arlen Specter kerfuffle.
I don't like what Arlen Specter said, and it was particularly classless of him to say it immediately following an election in which the President lent him a big hand to get past a primary challenge from a more conservative Republican.
But...
I'm reminded of something the President said in his news conference following the election. He'd earned some political capital with the election, and he was going to spend it. Hugh Hewitt earned some political capital with me with his steadfastness on election night. The folks over at NRO did not cover themselves with glory on election night; indeed they seemed to be doom and gloom central. Now I don't want to twit them too hard on this; they were passing on what they believed to be reliable information when they commented on the exit polls over at The Corner. But Hewitt, faced with the same polls, did not start running around like a chicken with its head cut off. He said they were wrong.
And Hugh is not suggesting that we accept Specter's conditions on the types of judges the President should nominate. The President should nominate the judges he deems fit, and then if Specter proves to be an obstructionist, Frist can appoint a new leader of the judiciary committee. But Hugh's right, the easiest way to lose this narrow majority we have is to start demanding purity from Blue State Senators.
I don't like the fact that we have to deal with RINOs any more than you do. But I'm a realist, not an ideologue. A chastened Specter is better than an angered Specter.
