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Specter Backpedaling for His Political Life Against Tidal Wave of Opposition

WASHINGTON, November 8, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A sudden flood of vehement opposition to Senator Arlen Specter's appointment as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee from conservative groups, has caused the senator to backpedal on his previous remarks.

A day after the election, Specter warned President Bush not to propose any pro-life nominees for the Supreme Court. He told the Philadelphia Inquirer on November 3rd, "If you have a race that is won by a percent or two, you have a narrowly divided country, and that's not a traditional mandate." The self-proclaimed, "pro-choice" Republican said, "President Bush will have that very much in mind."

Surprised by the intensity of opposition after his remarks, Specter has been doing damage control. "The fact is that I have supported all of President Bush's nominees in committee and on the floor. I have never applied a litmus test," He said Sunday on CBS News' "Face the Nation." He also said his pro-abortion personal position would not prevent his supporting a judicial nominee who was pro-life. "Although I am pro-choice, I have supported many pro-life nominees," he said.

Last week Bishop Henry Gracida of Corpus Christi, Texas, in an e-mail appeal to conservative Americans wrote, "Arlen Specter MUST NOT become the Chairman and be in a position to negate all that has been accomplished in the election of President Bush." Since then Bishop Gracida's voice has been joined by a multitude calling for Senate Majority leader Bill Frist waive the Senate Rules and appoint another Chairman.

The American Family Association, Population Research, Concerned Women for America, The National Right to Life Committee, New Jersey Right to Life, together with a number of independent bloggers are riding a wave of confidence after exit polls showed the Bush victory was a result of his fidelity to 'social conservative' values. They and many other conservative pro-life and pro-family groups are activating their membership to stop Specter.

A grassroots Republican group, RedState.org has started a website, NotSpecter.com, dedicated to stopping the Specter appointment. On the website citizens can find petitions, faxes and e-mails to send to Frist's office.

Austin Ruse of New York's Culture of Life Foundation wrote in his action alert, "You should know that thousands of phone calls are going into these Senate offices as we speak. We can stop Specter from upholding abortion, but only if we act together and only if we act NOW."

Senator Frist's office in Washington was unreachable today because of the flood of phone calls. LifeSiteNews.com was able to get through to Frist's Nashville office where a spokesman would only say that the volume of calls about Specter was making it impossible for anyone to get through to Frist. "We're being slammed with calls," she said.

Nov. 5 LifeSiteNews.com story
Arlen Specter 'Borked' Himself from Senate Judiciary Committee
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/nov/04110503.html

CBS news.com coverage:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/08/politics/main654222.shtml

Not Spector.com
http://www.notspecter.com/

Family Resarch Council joins campaign to stop Spector appointment to Judiciary Committee
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AL04K01

American Family Association - Senator Specter has an Agenda - Liberal Judges
http://www.afa.net/petitions/specter.asp

National Right to Life Action Alert
http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/issues/alert/?alertid=6611956&type=CU

Focus on Family Citizenlink: FMA Could Be in Specter's Hands, Too
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0034449.cfm

Specter's Comments Rile Senate Conservatives
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1078&dept_id=151021&newsid=13310127&PAG=4...

Buchanan - Now, end the judicial dictatorship
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41343

Specter getting back in line on Supreme Court Nominations?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,137857,00.html

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