Specter changes his position, announces support for stalled Justice Department nominee Dawn Johnsen.

[babylonsister]

This is GREAT news! Maybe now, finally she'll be confirmed.

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/12/specter-johnsen/


Specter changes his position, announces support for stalled Justice Department nominee Dawn Johnsen.
By Amanda Terkel at 5:29 pm


Last year, President Obama nominated Dawn Johnsen to head the Office of Legal Counsel, which, during the Bush administration, sanctioned torture. Johnsen, however, was an outspoken critic of the so-called “torture memos.” Conservatives blocked her nomination, and the White House has said that it plans to renominate her when the Senate officially reconvenes later this month. Even after he became a Democrat, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter said that he opposed Johnsen’s nomination. However, today his office released a statement in which Specter says that he will now support her:

After voting ‘pass’ (which means no position) in the Judiciary Committee, I had a second extensive meeting with Ms. Johnsen and have been prepared to support her nomination when it reaches the Senate floor.

Spencer Ackerman notes that Republican Sen. Dick Lugar (IN) has also said he is standing by his support for Johnsen, meaning she has the 60 votes necessary to be confirmed.

[babylonsister]

1. Specter Is Dawn Johnsen’s 60th Senate Vote

http://washingtonindependent.com/73798/specter-is-dawn-johnsens-60th-senate-vote

Specter Is Dawn Johnsen’s 60th Senate Vote

By Spencer Ackerman 1/12/10 4:22 PM

Brian Beutler at TPM reports that under pressure from Senate primary challenger Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) says he’d vote for Office of Legal Counsel chief nominee Dawn Johnsen, whose nomination has been stalled for almost a year:

“After voting ‘pass’ (which means no position) in the Judiciary Committee, I had a second extensive meeting with Ms. Johnsen and have been prepared to support her nomination when it reaches the Senate floor,” reads a statement from Specter sent to TPMDC.

Unless Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) suddenly reverses his pro-Johnsen position, which is unlikely since his spokesman Andy Fisher just said the senator has “not changed his view” on Johnsen’s nomination “at all,” that’s 60 votes for Johnsen, who had to be renominated this year after her nomination never made it to the floor for a vote in 2009. Specter, various GOPers and Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) vocally questioned her judgment.

[librechik]

2. yay! And i thought they had thrown her under the bus!

go, Dawn! and get those scalawags!

[lazarus]

3. Could it be

that the Sestak primary challenge is moving Specter to the left?

[babylonsister]

4. Absolutely. nt

[tavalon]

6. After the election (if he gets back in) I suspect Specter will become a Republican again

[babylonsister]

8. Why? He's getting a bit long in the tooth to keep changing his

position. :hide:

[tavalon]

9. Mr Magic Bullet Theory is and has always been a wily politician

He switched this time to save his ass but I doubt he'll go for another tenure after.

[zbdent]

11. maybe the most change he'll be doing is putting the R back after his name ...

seems to me he's been pretty lame as a "dem" ...

[cali]

10. not a chance.

[Jim Lane]

12. He'd have no reason to join the minority party.

His self-interest would keep him as a Democrat.

I write "would" instead of "will" because his re-election is by no means certain. Joe Sestak has already achieved Dawn Johnsen's impending confirmation, and we can hope that Sestak will achieve much more by bouncing Specter from office.

[Scurrilous]

5. Good news!

K & R :thumbsup:

[mmonk]

7. Recommended. Thank you Senator.