Why Senator Specter Should Not Be Trusted

[Me.]

I listened to him on MTP this morning and have seen him giving interviews elsewhere. At no time has be been publicly confronted with the fact that it was one of his staff members who snuck a provision into the Patriot Act, in the dead of night, which allowed the AG the right to replace US attorneys with out Senate approval. And that staffer supposedly did it without informing his boss, a member of the US Senate. That staffer has now gone on his way and is now himself a USA. Nice payback.

As to Specter, here is what's troubling:

If his staffer did this as reported it speaks to a lack if respect his staffers, those who work most closely with him, hold for him. And if this is true, why has Specter not called out this man for this dirty deed and the quid pro quo nature of the entire business?

The rebuttal to the above can only be that Specter knew about it, and if he did, then, no surprise, has been lying and still can't be trusted.

[Oceansaway]

1. i agree...n/t

[ljm2002]

2. 100% right on the money!

Could not agree more.

[youngdem]

3. Specter is who the Repukes trot out to criticise themselves

because they all know he really isn't interested in the truth at all. He is what McCain used to be - a resident 'skeptic' used to reign in the 'independents' in the party whenever trouble arises, but once the issue passes a little, everyone forgets about it and moves on.

It is a PR tool, and Specter is just a tool.

[dkofos]

4. The stupid defense doesn't work anymore

[Old and In the Way]

5. Important point....really needs amplification.

Was Specter a willing agent who turned the other way when the WH had this slipped in...or was he played a fool on letting this be get added? Either way, it makes his position and comments totally suspect.

[Me.]

10. It Does

Because some dems are sometimes lulled by him, thinking he is middle of the road and can be persuaded to join them in perspective and/or votes. He was in a tough spot in his last election and the publicans bailed him out. Knowing they never do anything without expecting favors in return, one has to wonder what price Specter agreed to pay.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. Why Senator Specter Should Not Be Trusted

Does anybody here remember his dutiful trashing of Anita Hill?

I think of that any time I see Spector humming and hawing.

[Alameda]

30. Specter and Anita Hill

Ah yes.....I clearly remember that. That was the first time he came into my focus. Never have trusted him since. That sneer on his face rises up in my memory.

[Jack Rabbit]

31. Welcome to DU

I presume we are neighbors, relatively speaking.

[PCIntern]

7. his schtick is well-known to us Pennsylvanians...

very entertaining:

1. Start with a vaguely correct premise - Dems feel they're represented in the Senate!
2. Call for thorough hearings - better and better!
3. Sunday AM talks shows vociferous defense - looking better and better - WOW!
4. A little too 'even-handed' during the hearings -hmmm.
5. Votes with the Bush Administration and vows a 'wachful eye' - There he goes again! Shit.

[ginnyinWI]

23. that's exactly what I see, too.

He's the classic example of "say one thing, do another." I never believe him anymore.

[Mandate My Ass]

8. Mr. Magic Bullet? Trusted? No way.

He can always be counted on to be the errand boy for the worst repuke shenanigans. How he keeps his "moderate" image is a mystery to me. :shrug:

FWIW, I went to a talk by Ray McGovern and he claims the repuke character assassination squad threatened to out him for a longtime and still current affair unless he toed the line.

[Me.]

26. Now That's Interesting

& explains a lot. I asked a friend the other day if they thought Rove had taken over where Hoover left off, with the blackmail and everything, which would go a long way in explaining why both publicans (and some dems) have been so manipulated.

[Felinity]

9. Kick & Rec.

UNBELIEVBLE-the staffer is one of the new US Attorneys?

[Lobster Martini]

11. With respect, the original post is factually wrong

It was not one of Specter's staff members that snuck the provision into the Patriot Act. It was Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General William E. Moschella, who works for Gonzo, not Specter. He has said that he was correcting a "constitutional anomaly," the anomaly apparently being that the AG couldn't bypass Congress fast enough.

I believe you will find it on Page 3: http://www.capitolhillblue.com/cm/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=256

[TomInTib]

14. Good catch. Thanks. eom

[Me.]

15. It May Be A Matter Of Semantics Here

My take on the situation is that while justice may have wanted it changed and Moschella penned the word change, the one who did the deed, inserted the change into the bill, was Tolman from Specter's office.

“The background: When Congress reauthorized the Patriot Act last year, it included little-noticed language that changed the way U.S. attorneys would be appointed if their predecessors were removed in the middle of their term. Under the old regime, interim U.S. attorneys needed to be confirmed by the Senate after 120 days. If they weren't, federal district judges could select their replacement. The new language removed both judicial and congressional oversight of the interim U.S. attorneys, letting DOJ anoint them indefinitely. This served three important goals: consolidating presidential power, diminishing oversight, and ensuring that "interim" prosecutors had permanent jobs.

On Feb. 6, when the Senate held hearings on the issue of prosecutorial independence, former judiciary committee Chairman Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., proudly claimed to have been as clueless as the rest of us. Denying New York Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer's claim that he or his staff had "slipped the new provision into the Patriot Act in the dead of night," Specter asserted, "The first I found out about the change in the Patriot Act occurred a few weeks ago when Sen. Feinstein approached me on the floor."

Specter added that he only looked into how the provision was altered after Feinstein told him about it. As he explained, "I then contacted my very able chief counsel, Michael O'Neill, to find out exactly what had happened. And Mr. O'Neill advised me that the requested change had come from the Department of Justice, that it had been handled by Brett Tolman, who is now the U.S. attorney for Utah, and that the change had been requested by the Department of Justice because there had been difficulty with the replacement of a U.S. attorney in South Dakota."

http://www.slate.com/id/2161260/

[Lobster Martini]

19. This is why everyone should testify under oath

I see your point. I've seen Moschella mentioned several times, but this is the first time I've read that O'Neill was involved. This is exactly why everyone should testify under oath. You just can't tell which of the liars is truthier anymore.

[Me.]

21. We Are In Complete Agreement

And as far as oath taking is concerned, the question should always be "Why won't you take the oath of you're planning on telling the truth?" As a matter of fact when the attorneys testified, I believe they were under oath, so why not the people responsible for firing them and then lying about why it was done? These people were willing to destroy wonderful reputations to hide the real intent for the firings.

[MagickMuffin]

24. When the story first broke Mike O'neill was the one they originally blamed

and he still has his JOB in Arlen's office. He was sitting behind Arlen at Thursday's floor debate.

This is the first time I've heard about Brett Tolman. Slate states repeatedly that Mike O'neill played a larger role in this scandal.

They leave us with this question:

Why does Mike still have his job?

And why isn't the FACT that the Federal Government was sneaking language into bills in the DEAD OF NIGHT before being voted on the next morning?

Shouldn't more people be disturb about "aides" slipping whatever the Fook they want into a bill?

Boy maybe NORML should look into this new way of legislation.:rofl:

[Me.]

25. Yes, Why Does He Still Have A Job

and frankly, why isn't Specter outraged that one of his employees "slipped one over on him", an unelected staffer who apparently thinks HE has the right to make law and determine the course of the judiciary in this country?

[formercia]

32. A lot of people still have their jobs.

Take Rummy for instance.He may not be Sec Def. but he still has a desk at the pentagon and is probably providing 'guidance.' They just remove them from public view. The agenda remains the same.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

12. The fact that he's a Republican is reason aplenty these days.

[n2doc]

20. Exactly! An (R) next to their name, especially for a Senator, means they are lying

Spector has done absolutely nothing to stop bushco. Indeed he has been a useful tool, providing cover for them when things get hot. No different this time.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

13. He kept saying that we can't judge by what we see and hear on tv and in the press in

regard to the information coming up. What BS was that? Being released are relevant emails and to say he will judge Gonzo, eye to eye is a laugh.

He was also a total POS when he mentioned Clinton firing 95 US Attys. Following the same misleading talking points as other lockstep Bushbots.

[stirlingsliver]

16. He's a Rethug

Rethugs can never -- NEVER -- be trusted.

[malaise]

18. Bingo n/t

[robinlynne]

17. absolutely!

[VP505]

22. Senator

"SMOKE SCREEN" Specter Not to be trusted? I'm shocked absolutely shocked :sarcasm:

[MiniMe]

27. Specter claims that it was in the bill for 3 months

So he just lies about it

[annabanana]

28. Is Matt Miner still on his staff? He has been trying to limit Repug.

liability on fired US Attys:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3171312

[Me.]

29. Neither Miner Or O'neil Are Listed In His Staff Directory

http://specter.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=StaffMembers.Home

[mmonk]

33. You need not worry from my angle.

In fact, I trust no one on that side of the aisle and only about half on our side of the aisle. Maybe I'm the ultimate cynic.

[Me.]

34. I Hear You

These last 6-7 years have turned me into much more of a cynic (not without cause) and more of a swearer.