Specter and the new media

Previous post here.

Powerline has published Senator Frist's response to the Specter debate. Frist promises to use his position to ensure fair treatment of the Bush nominees. Powerline reacts:

Not fully satisfactory, obviously, but I think that Sen. Frist has gotten the message that it is up to him to make sure, one way or another, that Specter's role on the Judiciary Committee doesn't undermine the President's nominations. This is the kind of thing that is best done behind the scenes, I think, rather than by publicly humiliating Sen. Specter and his fellow moderates. Time will tell whether that faith is well-placed.

Regardless of the outcome, the blogosphere/new media role in shining the spotlight on this issue is essential to ensuring that Specter lives up to whatever promises he makes to Bush and Frist. We shouldn't worry about the back room strategy. Our role is not that of back room strategist. That is too nuanced an approach. We have to continue the campaign, make the phone calls, send the e-mails and let the Washington insiders do the strategizing - as long their goal is a strict constructionist Court. Only if we do our part will they do their part. We cannot stand in the shoes of inside deal makers and try to plan their chess game for them. We can only spread the news that the MSM hides and make our voices heard.

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Wednesday morning update.

Sue Bob has pointed out a WorldNetDaily article that I missed. Specter promised leading Pennsylvania newspapers that he would oppose what he calls "extremist" judges in exchange for those newspapers' endorsements. The question is, which promises will Specter keep, the promises he made to the Pensylvania newspapers or the promises he is now making to the Republicans as he grovels to get his chairmanship?

Scrappleface ponders the possibility that Specter might make amends by endorsing Ashcroft for Supreme Court.