Specter says he'll vote against Gonzales

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Houston Chronicle/Associated Press

June 11, 2007, 12:56PM
Specter says he'll vote against Gonzales

By LAURIE KELLMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee said today he will vote for a no-confidence resolution against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, after long questioning the leadership and independence of President Bush's longtime friend.

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said he's concerned like others in his party that the resolution, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. and up for a test vote later in the day, was a Democratic effort to embarrass Bush and prompt Gonzales to resign. But Specter has long said that Gonzales has exercise poor leadership on a host of issues, from the firings of eight federal prosecutors to the department's handling of wiretapping authority under the Patriot Act.

"If you ask Arlen Specter, do I have confidence in Attorney General Gonzales, the answer is a resounding no," Specter said during a news conference in Philadelphia. "I'm going to vote that I have no confidence in Attorney General Gonzales."

Despite Specter's decision and calls by five other Senate Republicans for Gonzales' resignation, no one was predicting that the symbolic no-confidence resolution would survive even the test vote Monday.



Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4878423.html

[TwilightGardener]

1. Good. That's one. I'd like to see where McCain comes down on this,

considering he called for Gonzo to resign--but now he's scorned by the GOP base for his immigration bill support. Siding with Dems on this won't further endear him to the 30 percenters. What to do, Johnny, what to do?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. he'll probably be marked absent. nt

[TwilightGardener]

7. You're right. He hasn't "manned up" for any crucial vote lately.

[maddezmom]

2. wow

I really didn't think he had it in him. Maybe it'll energize some of the other repubs to back up their former comments of disapproval with the vote.

[Supersedeas]

3. at least 5 other Republicans had said they no longer support Gonzo--time to flip?

[Oreo]

4. Won't believe it until I see it

Specter has flipped way too many times for me to believe anything he says anymore

[babylonsister]

8. Ditto what you say. I've been suckered one too many times by Specter. nt

[Bob3]

13. ditto ditto

He's just as likely tomorrow to proclaim this to simply Democratic Party Grandstanding - the MSM will of course give him a pass on this being in complete contradiction what he'd just said.

[NewJeffCT]

6. and Bush will thumb his nose at the vote

and, Gonzo doesn't have enough self-respect to resign. He'll continue to take the flak for his boss.

[global1]

9. Who Were All The Repugs That Came Out Against Gonzo?......nt

[Vidar]

10. Courage as long as it's non-binding.

[babylonsister]

11. He's not a fan of Gonzo, but won't vote for the no-confidence.

He almost had me; typical.

[I_Make_Mistakes]

12. Arlen Specter, It took years to figure him out, It's called sound-byte!

He gets the sound byte on the news in PA., his vote never mirrors his rhetoric! That's Arlen, in a sentence!

If the Dem's want to counter, the commercial would be Arlen's sound byte vs. Arlen's vote, the commercial would be Arlen's sound byte vs. Arlen's vote, the commercial would be Arlen's sound byte vs. Arlen's vote, you get the drift!

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

14. He'd Be Great At Selling Bridges! nt

[Rosa Luxemburg]

15. why don't the GOP come clean and show the country they are not rogues?

[rodeodance]

16. What. Keith O. is wrong??? (says ALWAYS caves!)

[rodeodance]

17. says they need 60 votes just to proceed to a vote!

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., recommended during private meetings early in the day that GOP senators not support the motion to proceed to a debate on the resolution itself, according to a source familiar with the talks who demanded anonymity because the discussions were private. Without the 60 votes, the Senate moves on to other legislation.

At a news conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, the last stop on a weeklong visit to Europe, the president reaffirmed his support for Gonzales, a longtime friend and legal adviser.

[Jack Rabbit]

18. It's good to have Spector on our side on this

If McConnell wants to support Gonzo, fine. Let a jack ass who doesn't know the difference between free speech on the one hand and bribery and extortion on the other support a crook. But he shouldn't recoomend that course of action to the Republican caucus.