Will Specter vote for cloture on Dawn Johnsen?
Will Specter vote for cloture on Dawn Johnsen?
On the day that Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) announced that he was becoming a Democrat, he also reaffirmed his opposition to President Obama’s nominee to head the Office of Legal Counsel, Dawn Johnsen (though he never explained why he opposed her). Greg Sargent reports that Specter’s office has left the door open for the senator to support a cloture vote on Johnsen:
Specter spokesperson Kate Kelly confirms to me that he could still vote Yes on the cloture vote to break the GOP filibuster and remains undecided on the question.
Specter has said he will vote No on the straight up-or-down vote on Johnsen. But he hasn’t said publicly whether he’ll cast the earlier procedural vote to bring her vote to the floor. Reid has said he doesn’t have the 60 votes necessary to clear that higher hurdle, and the hunt is on for a GOP Senator to help put Johnsen over the top.
As ThinkProgress pointed out this week, requiring a filibuster-proof majority to approve an OLC chief is a distinct break with precedent. Both of President Bush’s nominees, John Yoo and Jack Goldsmith, were confirmed with simple voice votes.
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Arlen Spectre (Q-PA)
May 15th, 2009 at 9:54 amSpecter has to be loving all the attention he’s getting — he’s saving his reelection campaign lots of money by showing just how important he thinks he is to both sides; free campaign advertising courtesy of the news stations, blogs, intertubes, etc.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:58 amIf he fails to vote for cloture on Ms. Johnsen’s confirmation Senator Spectacle should be immediately and summarily ostracized by the Democratic caucus.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:59 am“As ThinkProgress pointed out this week, requiring a filibuster-proof majority to approve an OLC chief is a distinct break with precedent. Both of President Bush’s nominees, John Yoo and Jack Goldsmith, were confirmed with simple voice votes.”
Which senators objected to the use of the voice vote in that instance?
May 15th, 2009 at 10:07 amWill Specter vote for cloture on Dawn Johnsen?
– - No, he’s not a “loyal” Democrat.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:09 amArlen Specter: a phoney Democrat.
Against EFCA, against Johnson.
Will the Democrats PLEASE run a REAL Democrat against Specter in the primary?
May 15th, 2009 at 10:11 amLet’s not try to turn a pig’s ear into a silk purse Arlen is a republican that has let his party slip off into the ditch. Now he wants to drag the democrats down that same slippery slope. Pennsylvania democrats beware and elect a Democrat not some phony who cares only about keeping his fat-cat job
May 15th, 2009 at 10:11 amBoth of President Bush’s nominees, John Yoo and Jack Goldsmith, were confirmed with simple voice votes.
a real slap in the face to someone like Dawn Johnsen…
May 15th, 2009 at 10:19 amSo a Bush nominee, who went on to author memos green-lighting torture, was confirmed by a simple voice vote.
Yet Dawn Johnsen’s nomination is filibistered by Republicans because of her “strong pro-choice views”.
One point: abortion is legal in this country. Torture is not. Think about it.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:20 amralph, “think about it”? Think? You are very funny. It must be Friday.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:27 amYa got me, PLC. Obviously, I wasn’t addressing right-wingers with the admonition to “think”. That would be like telling a halibut to walk.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:30 amSpecters continued quest for relativity and if you can’t beat them join them.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:56 amWasn’t it the Republicans who used to piss and moan that the President should be able to work with the people he wants?
May 15th, 2009 at 11:52 amThe Democrats need to do something about the filibuster. Either start making the Republics actually filibuster or just kill it for all times. We live in a democracy where supposedly the majority rules. Requiring 60 votes out of 100 IS NOT a majority. The filibuster is very undemocratic.
The Democrats also need to do something about Specter. Tell him that if he continues to vote like a Republican they will NOT support him for re-election.
May 15th, 2009 at 12:36 pmSpecter is a useless glory hound, a self-serving puke. Put another way, he a very useless glory hound, a selish self-serving puke. On a good day.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:56 pm