NYT: Endorsement of Nominee Draws Committee's Interest

Pirate Smile

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Mon Oct-10-05 11:52 AM
Original message

NYT: Endorsement of Nominee Draws Committee's Interest

Endorsement of Nominee Draws Committee's Interest

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: October 10, 2005

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 - Senator Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican who is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and several Democrats on the committee said Sunday that they were considering calling the evangelical conservative James C. Dobson to testify on what he has been told about Harriet E. Miers, the president's Supreme Court nominee.

"If Dr. Dobson knows something that he shouldn't know or something that I ought to know, I'm going to find out," Mr. Specter said Sunday in an interview with George Stephanopoulos on the ABC News program "This Week."

In response to a later question, Mr. Specter added, "If there are back-room assurances and if there are back-room deals and if there is something which bears upon a precondition as to how a nominee is going to vote, I think that's a matter that ought to be known by the Judiciary Committee and the American people."

Mr. Dobson, the influential founder of the conservative evangelical group Focus on the Family, has said he is supporting Ms. Miers's nomination in part because of something he has been told but cannot divulge. He has not disclosed the source of the information, but he has acknowledged speaking with Karl Rove, President Bush's top political adviser, about the president's pick before it was announced.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/10/politics/politicsspecial1/10confirm.html?ex=1286596800&en=5f4da7a3d2818a31&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

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IndianaGreen

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Mon Oct-10-05 11:59 AM
Response to Original message

1. Dobson should be ordered to appear as a witness

He can either recant what he said, and be shown to be a liar, or he can divulge how Mier will vote on abortion, which is what we need to know.

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Freddie Stubbs

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Mon Oct-10-05 03:14 PM
Response to Reply #1

7. The Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are free to call him as a witness

The question is will they?

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Orsino

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Mon Oct-10-05 07:49 PM
Response to Reply #7

8. That would involve a spine. Don't hold your breath.

n/t

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Norquist Nemesis

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Mon Oct-10-05 12:00 PM
Response to Original message

2. Good! Exactly what I said the day I saw it here on DU!

Subpoena him! Also, supboena the Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention who was on MTP this Sunday with Pat Buchanan! Land stated on the show that he received a call from Karl Rove telling him Harriet Miers was the nominee and provided info about her.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9579343/
"MR. RUSSERT: Here's what's concerning to many people, and this is from E.J. Dionne's column in The Washington Post. "Rather mysteriously, Dobson"--of Focus on the Family--"who was briefed on the nomination by Bush's chief lieutenant, Karl Rove, told : `I do know things that I am not prepared to talk about here.' He was equally cagey with The New York Times: `Some of what I know I am not at liberty to talk about.' The intrigue whetted the curiosity of Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), who said that `if the White House gives information to James Dobson, that information should be shared equally with the U.S. Senate.'"

Did anyone from the White House suggest to you that Ms. Miers has expressed a view about abortion as opposition to Roe v. Wade?

DR. LAND: No, not to me.

MR. RUSSERT: No? Nothing.

DR. LAND: No. The--and I don't know what Dr. Dobson's talking about. You'd have to ask him that question. When Karl Rove called me on Monday morning, he just told me who it was and told me the president had absolute confidence in her and gave me some of her background and some of the people that I knew in Dallas that knew her and who would vouch for her. But let me make one thing perfectly clear. I think that John Roberts' devout Catholicism and Harriet Miers' strong evangelical beliefs should be irrelevant--irrelevant--when it comes to judging cases before the Supreme Court. In politicians, in governors and senators and congressmen, it's very important, and they have a right to bring their faith convictions to bear on public policy. But when it comes to judges, they must set aside their personal convictions and rule based on the law."

This also begs the question, who ELSE did Karl Rove call and what did he tell them?

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Kralizec

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Mon Oct-10-05 12:01 PM
Response to Original message

3. I hope Specter is able to follow through on this,

but knowing how * and his team operates, nothing is a sure bet. Oh well.

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rodeodance

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Mon Oct-10-05 12:19 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. Jr will do a tit or tat with Specter.

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DBoon

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Mon Oct-10-05 12:22 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. meaning...

"lay off Dobson or your career will be ruined."

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politick

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Mon Oct-10-05 12:27 PM
Response to Reply #5

6. is that a viable threat anymore?

Specter and others can smell the stench around BushCo, and I wonder how much longer they'll be able to intimidate and threaten like that.

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TygrBright

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Mon Oct-10-05 08:05 PM
Response to Reply #5

10. Naaaahh.... One of the few good things about...

...Specter is that he LIVES off the reservation, so far as the GOPpies are concerned, and always has. His interests converge with theirs more often than not, but he won't carry their water if it doesn't agree with what HE wants.

He's a conservative nutjob, sure, but he's an INDEPENDANT conservative nutjob. A classic loose cannon, and he's already thumbed his nose at Bushco several times.

If he thinks they're trying to slide one in on him, he'll make 'em squirm for it.

impartially,
Bright

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msongs

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Mon Oct-10-05 08:05 PM
Response to Original message

9. if we won't testify, "spank him with a switch..." hehehe

since dobson thinks it is ok to beat kids, maybe he can get some of his own medicine.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/clark2008.htm

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Miss Chybil

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Mon Oct-10-05 08:49 PM
Response to Reply #9

11. He'd probably like that... nt

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radfringe

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Tue Oct-11-05 04:10 AM
Response to Original message

12. who's lieing or walking that thin line?

Mr. Dobson, the influential founder of the conservative evangelical group Focus on the Family, has said he is supporting Ms. Miers's nomination in part because of something he has been told but cannot divulge. He has not disclosed the source of the information, but he has acknowledged speaking with Karl Rove, President Bush's top political adviser, about the president's pick before it was announced

---snip---

Dana Perino, a spokeswoman for the White House, said Sunday that Mr. Rove did not provide Mr. Dobson "any insight into how Ms. Miers may rule on any particular case."

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