The Republican base would have been even more infuriated to read the full press conference transcript confirming Specter's litmus test: "I have said that bluntly during the course of the campaign and before. When the [Philadelphia] Inquirer endorsed me, they quoted my statement that Roe v. Wade was inviolate." He suggested that "nobody can be confirmed" who does not accept abortion rights. Thus, Specter's and John Kerry's positions are indistinguishable.
Specter is in line to become chairman because Republican chairman term limits are forcing out Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah. Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa conservative and a rare non-lawyer on Judiciary, is ahead of Specter in seniority but wants to keep his Finance Committee chairmanship.
That puts Frist, who has been criticized for his management of the judicial confirmation debacle, on the spot. He is considering asking the full Republican Conference to waive term limits for Hatch. The majority leader also may let Hatch keep his chairmanship temporarily to handle any immediate Supreme Court vacancy. Frist could mobilize a majority of the Judiciary committee's expected 11 Republicans in the new Congress to breach seniority and bump Specter.
Santorum's situation is sensitive. With a potentially difficult re-election looming in 2006 against Democratic State Treasurer Barbara Hafer (a former Specter Republican), he does not want to alienate Specter. That explains Santorum's effort to get Specter to back down from his litmus test in Thursday's statement.
In truth, Specter cannot really repudiate what he said. His modified stand only pledged to guarantee "prompt action" by the committee, not to actively support any Bush nominee. The test is whether the Republican establishment will tolerate a Judiciary chairman who opposes the will of voters who gave George W. Bush a second term and continued Republican control of Congress based on him favoring traditional values.