http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/...cs/10198565.htm

[quote]Posted on Tue, Nov. 16, 2004

Hatch among Judiciary members backing Specter for chairman

BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN

Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - Sen. Arlen Specter, `R-Pa`., on Tuesday night appeared to have secured the chairmanship of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, winning the backing of key senators on the panel.

The former Philadelphia prosecutor, forced to turn attorney for his own defense, pleaded his case at a sometimes tense, nearly `two-hour` meeting of the GOP members of the committee. Specter appeared after the session with outgoing chairman Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, `R-Utah`.

"The meeting was a good meeting," Hatch said. "Senator Specter is highly respected by members of the committee, as he should be. I, as the current chairman support him. And I believe he will be a great chairman."

Although the matter may be settled for now, the actual vote to select a chairman will not occur until early January, after senators are sworn in for the 109th Congress. Hatch said he expected this issue "will resolve itself in a reasonable way."

"Nobody in the meeting was against Arlen," Hatch said. " ... Senator Specter handled himself very well. I expect him to have the support of the committee."

Committee member Lindsey O. Graham of South Carolina, also supported Specter.

"He'll make a statement in a couple of days that will be very reassuring," Graham said. The statement will be "about what he intended to say, what he intends to do as chairman ... and I think we will be able to resolve this in a decent manner."

I heard a report on this today on NPR. The fundamentalist evangelical Christian protestors were quite vocal and said that Senator Frist would PAY if he backed Specter. They sounded very scary.

Sen. Spectre may not be out of trouble yet, but I beleive that things will work themselves out. How can those protesters call themselves Christians when they you say they sounded ugly and there telling me hateful.

I have faith that Sen. Spectre will be the Chairman. With supporters like Hatch and Graham I think it will be diificult to lose the position. This will be the first appearnce of a split between the two SC senators. DeMint would like to persude his colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to not make Chairman. However senior Senator Lindsey Graham is supporting Spectre for the post. The difference being qualifications and seniority versus ideology. This will also show it self on the issue of judicial nominations.

I am very proud of Sen. Graham for not caving to ideology and supporting Speacter, the man who is most qualified for the job.

Judy, did you hear Sen. Hollings praising Sen. Graham today ? It was really something. Sen. Hollings is retiring and he has a special historic desk he asked them to give Sen. Graham. He talked about how he knows how to work hard, make friends and get things done. It was quite an honor from a respected and honored elder Senator. I so hoped you were watching. If not you, could go to the Senate website and get a transcript.

[quote=Democrat Debbi]Judy, did you hear Sen. Hollings praising Sen. Graham today ? It was really something. Sen. Hollings is retiring and he has a special historic desk he asked them to give Sen. Graham. He talked about how he knows how to work hard, make friends and get things done. It was quite an honor from a respected and honored elder Senator. I so hoped you were watching. If not you, could go to the Senate website and get a transcript.[/quote]

Did I seeit. You bet. I saw both Senators speak. I cried as Graham talked about Holloings WWII service. My grandfather, who is passed away served in WWII, and had the same trait as Hollings of speaking his mind. I know. I am so proud. I wouldn't have missed it. I will also catch tthe replay of the Senate so I can record it. I will also get the transcript.

Holling passed the John C Calhoun Desk to Sen. Graham. I believe this puts Graham in the front row. I have started plowing through the history of SC. I am reading about Clahoun because I want to understand why this is so important. I also saw in a publication wher eTrent Lott is hopint to one day before retirement get the historic Jefferson Davis Desk, which goes to the Senior Senator for Missippi--Thad Cochran. Isn't just great that the SC tradition gets passed on to someone as great and who will honor like Graham will. I think Lott just covets the histori position and would not honor. Serves him right for being an idiot and praising the 1948 segrationist Dixiecrat platform of Strom Thurmond at his 100th birthday poarty. He could have found something vetter to praise.

I am so happy right now. Sen. Hollings made my day by praising Graham because it shows that I am not just imagining how great I think he is, he is getting high praise from a departing colleague. What great day for SC, what a great day for the Country.

Calhoun was the first to want to secede from the Union as he was for slavery, and it caused havoc that led to the Civil War. Not certain I'd want that desk!

[quote=Benny]Calhoun was the first to want to secede from the Union as he was for slavery, and it caused havoc that led to the Civil War. Not certain I'd want that desk![/quote]

It is a tradition that the Senior Senator from SC gets the Desk. It is an honored tradition because of both Calhoun and the fact that it was one of the original 48 desks, designed in 1819, that occupied the senate chamber. I find it kind of ironic that the Desk has come full circle having passed to Lindsey Graham who has never said anything against another group of his fellow citizens.

Keep in mind that it is just history and traditon and occupancy of the Desk does not reflect badly on Graham. I think his occuapncy of the Desk will shine a bright light and continue to put the history in context.


[IMG]http://www.senate.gov/resources/sdesk_s.gif[/IMG]

Would I want to sit in a historic Desk like this? Absolutely. The history does matter but it should not detract form our appreciation of a time honored tradition.

But why not the Smithsonian?

To me, Calhoun's ghost as reappeared as this country has become divided over the halves and have nots. We need One America, not two.

[quote=Benny]But why not the Smithsonian?

To me, Calhoun's ghost as reappeared as this country has become divided over the halves and have nots. We need One America, not two.[/quote]

Benny, ok point taken. However, If we move the Calhoundesh to the smithsonian then we must move the other 48 originals as well. This is folly since we would have to purchase new desks.

Why not look at and compare the the historical context of who sat there originally, with the `soon-to`-be current occupant and celebrate the fact that politics and race relations in the South in general and South Carolina in particualr have advanced a long way since Calhoun's day. In fact, even Sen. Hollings brought SC a long way into the current time.

The new desks that are in the chamber were made to the specifications of these old style desks. It would also cost an arm and a leg just to replace one of these antique desks. I enjoy the history of moving up to a seat with such gistoric significance. If we could get close enough to the desk to look inside the drawers we would see a history of SC through the senators who sat there because each one, at least in the 20th century has inscribed their name in one of the drawers. That is also a tradition.

I say keep the tradition, never forget the historical, and celebrate the man who will soon oocupy the desk because he is so radica;;y different from the original occupant.

JREGrassroots members,

The `right-wing` claims it delivered the election for George
Bush...A new Attorney General nominee, Alberto Gonzales, is the
man behind Bush's `court-packing` strategy... An ailing Chief
Justice Rehnquist remains at home... `Right-wingers` are going
after Sen. Arlen Specter for even suggesting that Bush's future
Supreme Court nominees be scrutinized... It's only been two
weeks since the election, and already the `right-wing` is
demanding all the remaining steps must fall into place so that
they can win their ultimate goal of overturning Roe v. Wade.

Many of you, like we did, felt discouraged and beaten up after
John Kerry ceded the election. But even more of you have told us
that you are ready to keep fighting. That's good news, because
we can't win without you. We're dedicating this month's Enews to
getting you signed on for our battle for the Supreme Court --
read on for how you can get involved.

I don't need to tell you that to keep women's freedom and
privacy intact we must stay strong. But I do want to remind
everyone that we've got to be even stronger if we are to be the
wall that keeps President Bush from reaching his ultimate goal
of overturning Roe v. Wade. It won't be easy, but we can't stop
fighting.

Despite Bush's `re-election`, we have accomplished so much
together -- I know we can keep a woman's right to choose secure
for generations to come. We must, and we will!

Kristin Koch
NARAL `Pro-Choice` America

Did you see John Kerry on the Senate floor this after noon. He gae a great speech about the election.

[quote=judykratochvil]Did you see John Kerry on the Senate floor this after noon. He gae a great speech about the election.[/quote]

I missed it, Judy. What did he say? I wonder if we can find a transcript or video somewhere. Was this on `c-span`?

[quote=sirius][quote=judykratochvil]Did you see John Kerry on the Senate floor this after noon. He gae a great speech about the election.[/quote]

I missed it, Judy. What did he say? I wonder if we can find a transcript or video somewhere. Was this on `c-span`?[/quote]

Watch Countdown. They took a clip of him talking about the debt because as you know they raised the debt limit today. No Floor Statement has been released by Kerry yet. It should be on his senate website within the next few days. As for video I am not sure.