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Nov. 18, 2004, 11:46AM



Specter drafting pledge on judicial nominees
Associated Press

WASHINGTON-- Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican moderate seeking a key chairmanship in a party of conservatives, is drafting a written commitment of quick hearings and votes on President Bush's judicial nominees regardless of their views on abortion, Republican sources said today.

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Specter, who supports abortion rights, also is pledging a strong predisposition to support the president's nominees for the bench, according to these sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Pennsylvania senator's draft statement affirms that he will not impose a litmus test on nominees based on the issue of abortion, but does not include a blanket pledge to vote for them.

The written statement marks the latest step in a postelection struggle, with the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee at stake. The panel has jurisdiction over Bush's court appointments, including for any vacancies on an aging Supreme Court.

Specter, 74, is in line for the chairmanship under party seniority rules. But anti-abortion groups have protested his elevation, and Senate conservatives have subjected him to an extraordinary grilling on his views and intentions in recent days in meetings arranged by the GOP leadership.

Specter has not yet made his written pledge public, and his spokesman, Charles Robbins, said, "I have not seen the statement and cannot speak to the contents of it."

Democrats have successfully blocked 10 of Bush's first-term judicial nominees, while permitting confirmation of more than 200. Republicans sought to make a campaign issue of the political combat, accusing Democrats of obstructionism.

The GOP gained four seats on Nov. 2, defeating Democratic Leader Tom Daschle at home in South Dakota in the process. Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee told reporters earlier this week he had opened discussions with Sen. Harry Reid, the new Democratic leader in hopes of easing the path to confirmation for Bush's second-term appointments.

Frist and others have long held out the option of seeking a change in Senate procedures to strip Democrats of their ability to filibuster judicial appointments -- a tactic that obliges supporters to command 60 votes instead of a 50.

Several sources said that inside the closed-door GOP meetings in recent days, Specter has been prodded to declare his support for such a change.

His draft statement is equivocal on that point, according to GOP sources who described it. Instead, Specter draws attention to a proposal he has made to avoid gridlock on appointments. It envisions a three-month timetable for completion of action on any nomination, from committee hearing to final vote on the Senate floor.

Failing that, Specter's draft statement says there are precedents that could uphold a change in Senate rules to make it clear that only majority support was needed for a judge's confirmation.

Specter's written statement largely covers positions he has made in public statements in recent days. Even so, several GOP sources said one version was deemed unacceptable by Senate leaders in a meeting on Wednesday.