Specter finds his courage back .... to delay Holden's hearings.

[Mass]

While he was Chair of the Judiciary Committee, he had no problem confirming Roberts, Alito, and Gonzales, but he has serious questions about Holden?

What a courage!

http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/1208/Specter_calls_for_delay_in_Holder_hearings.html

Specter calls for delay in Holder hearings

Sen. Arlen Specter, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, has just thrown a wrench into the Eric Holder hearings planned for early January, saying Holder's involvement in the Marc Rich pardon is a "red flag" and a "very serious matter."

Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) has been pushing for an early January hearing so that Holder could quickly be confirmed at Barack Obama's attorney general and be in his office by the Jan. 20 inauguration.

But Specter is already applying the brakes, indicating that Republicans are going to make a big deal out of Holder at the hearing. Specter said he sees no way in which the Holder hearings could happen before Jan. 26. Specter said he still needs to see thousands of pages of background documents and Holder's FBI background check.

"There are questions that need to be addressed," Specter said in a Senate floor speech.

Specter, a former prosecutor himself, said he was troubled that Holder did not stand up to President Clinton on the pardon of Rich, who was a fugitive living abroad at the time of the pardon.

"To run counter to the views of the professionals is a red flag," Specter said. "We're looking at a very, very serious matter."

Specter did not say he was leaning one way or another on the Holder nomination, but clearly the Judiciary Committee Republicans are going to have a field day with the Rich pardon.

Here is Leahy's answer.

http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200812/121008e.html

[blogslut]

1. Oh, joy.

So Arlen is going to play obstructionist. Senator Specter has a pattern of coming close to reasonable behavior and then the GOP sucks him back into crazy partisan world. It gets old.

[genna]

2. If ethics is going to be Spector's war cry, I want to know where he was when Bush was

drowning the DOJ in political appointments. Is he balanced regardless of political party or does he only crow when he wants attention.

He should keep in mind that he lives in a state that elected PE Obama.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Time to rile up the Philadelphia Democrats to finally vote him out of office.

[snowbear]

4. Wow, kudos to Patrick Leahy on his response!!

Leahy you rock..

[firedupdem]

5. Leahy had a very nice response to this jerk....I wonder what the

outcome will be. Meanwhile, How do we get the rally cry out and stop these creeps from delaying and making a circus out of this appointment?

[IndianaGreen]

6. I hope this fucker dies soon of cancer!

Eight years of Bush have dulled any empathy I might feel for a Republican.

[firedupdem]

7. IndianaGreen!

Don't let those assholes make you feel that way! Remember, we are BETTER than them!

:spank:

[scarletwoman]

8. Well, Arlen "magic bullet" Spector is a two-faced, fork-tongued, double-dealing, lying asshole.

On the other hand, it certainly wouldn't break my heart to see Obama forced to switch his pick for Attorney General to someone who's NOT a Clinton retread.

Not that I expect that to actually happen, but it's fun to fantasize.

sw

[firedupdem]

9. kick

**hoping everybody will read Leahy's response.