I usually enjoy Peggy Noonan’s columns, and I think this is the first one I completely disagree with. I understand her point: We just won a big election, now let’s can all the argument for a little while so we can rest. But I do disagree with it.
She says we should “Shush” over the Arlen Specter controversy.
Conservatives have been angry with him for a long time and for good reason. They have expressed their unhappiness. They have made their point. Mr. Specter has been chastened and warned; the leadership of his party told him to fight for himself. He knows the Republican Party will expect him to support the nomination of judges free of a Roe v. Wade litmus test, or any litmus test, including a religious test. Many believe, and with reason, that a practicing Catholic isn’t allowed to be a federal judge in America anymore. Mr. Specter will have to be more open-minded, more supportive, than he’s been in the past. But he looks like a man who got the message, doesn’t he?
First I think you’ve missed the point. She’s saying that Alren got shhhhed.
She’s also telling conservatives to shhhhh because everyone is acting crazy, as if everything has to be won in the first 10 days after the election. Honestly I’ve never never seen conservatives overreacting and making such a loud clamoring for so many things in a long time.
I think she’s right. Shhhhhh! I’ve been on the front lines of the abortion battle, in front of clinics, working for a National pro-life group, staging protests, and lobbying legislators. I think that we could learn a lot by shhhhhing for a few weeks.
Don’t pretend that all the politicking and “we want Specter on a platter” is about the babies. Unfortunately it seems to be more about wanting a head on a platter than the babies.
Specter didn’t get shushed, he was the one doing the shushing. I think you missed the point.
And the battle over the judiciary will be won or lost now when the leadership post is handed out. We can’t afford to wait until after Specter is chairman to make a stink.
Finally, on what basis can you say that the battle over Specter is about politicking and not about pro-life? I haven’t seen anything that says that.
Specter is better off as Chair, because if he wasn’t he would be even more of a problem…his whole career has been pointing to this, now he knows one strange move and he is gone..
so SHHHHHHHHH is totally correct.
I think you’re both terribly wrong. Once he’s in the chair he’ll be more difficult to get out. It is not the easy to eject him. And why put him in there in the first place if he’s a potential problem, when you could avoid it all together by putting in someone reliable?
Specter should not be rewarded for doing the wrong thing. After Bush and Santorum campainged for him he immediatly shot off his mouth. He cannot be trusted as Chair.
Dom,
I’m just relaying what I see, but all of this “You owe us this! We won you the election! We moral values conservatives want . . .”
In this whole conversation, it seems to me that the Pro-life side is hungry for power, and they want to demonstrate this power by claiming Specter as a victory. Honestly, I think if Specter goes we will have a much harder time getting pro-life judges appointed to the Supreme Court.
Specter, although not a dependable ally, is not the real enemy.
I agree with Dom. This was one article by Peggy Noonan, that I was not pleased with either. I’ll remember this—“shhhhhhh”—after all the aborted babies in heaven stop crying.
AGAIN—“If it quakes like a duck—-IT IS A DUCK!” We—PROLIFERS—voted for BUSH-it was vote for life. I know that this election wasn’t about the economy, terror, or just same-sex marriage—IT WAS -TOTALLY -ABOUT ABORTION-STUPID!
I can’t spell today—If it quacks like a duck it is a duck!
Stephen,
What you interpret as hunger for power, I see as frustration that after 16 of the last 24 years of Republicans in the White House and most of the last 10 years in control of Congress, we’re further away from stopping the genocide than ever. They keep making promises, we keep electing them, they do nothing to fulfill their promises, and then they tell us at the next election, “Re-elect us and we’ll really stop abortion now.”
Well, we’re fed up and we want to see some tangible actions. (Especially after Pennsylvania pro-lifers were told to nominate the odious Specter instead of the pro-life Toomey because they couldn’t allow the Democrat to win and thus tip the balance in the Senate, which would have been moot point in retrosepct.)
I agree that this is not the time to be silent ’t), and that we shouldn’t waste any more political capital fighting over this but should save our firepower for the inevitable battles to come.
But maybe I’m reading too much into it…
With the whole committee supporting Specter, I think the battle’s over.
Now the Republicans will discover whether they were wise or not to bet the future of their party on a man who doesn’t value human life.
Actually, we already know they were unwise to do it. The question is, will they and millions of babies get lucky?
If not, 40% of their supporters could stay home in 2006, and 2008, and 2010, and every election afterward, until the country realizes it needs to form a new Second Party to replace the totally unelectable charlatans who thought they could, for a third time, fool Christians into voting for them.
yes stay home . . . that will save babies . . .
My last post was a little sarcastic. Sorry.
To answer KAP, I’m most definitely pro-life, you can read a little about my pro-life activities here: http://beingornothingness.blogs.com/living/2004/10/what_about_abor.html
I guess I just feel a little like Peggy right now . . . tired of all the shouting and clamoring and demanding and uncivility . . . Specter isn’t the enemy. He’s isn’t exactly an ally either, but he isn’t the enemy. Wouldn’t it be better if we used our influence to change Arlen’s heart (for his own good too, I suggest!) than to just cut and shoot?
In the end, I guess I think that Arlen arguing FOR the president’s nominees is better than Arlen arguing against them . . . and believe me, if Arlen weren’t made chairman . . . well, hell hath no fury like a senator scorned . . .
Can we at least agree that there is sometimes a need to take silence. To reflect. To plan in quiet, before we go on the attack?
There goes the pro-life neighborhood!!
Stephen,
We can reflect—and we can also pray—all of us for this country, our leaders, and most especially A. Specter. And now we take a collective sigh or breather, regroup, and MOVE ON! We await OUR LORD for HE leads us.
For we shall:
Ephesians 6: 11-19
11 Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil.
12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.
13 Therefore take unto you the armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of justice,
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace:
16 In all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one.
17 And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God).
18 By all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the spirit; and in the same watching with all instance and supplication for all the saints:
19 And for me, that speech may be given me, that I may open my mouth with confidence, to make known the mystery of the gospel.
Keep moving forward…and keep our eyes above! We will do this! Remember it really isn’t about winning or losing—-GOD ALREADY DID THAT! We are about grabbing up the casualities.
Stephen—good job at ND! Offer up the rejection—-this is so rich of great heavenly merit. Count every humility FOR HIM! All of us should offer every “dart” that is thrown against us physically—for it strengthens us in our endurance for the next battle and when offered to OUR LORD HE will again provide more courage, wisdom, and strength for the next battle. No battle is too small if it is FOR OUR LORD. He uses these small battles to prepare us for the larger ones.
I find it ironic how I want to see a “quieting” right now, like Peggy Noonan describes, while my biggest “claim to fame” in the Pro-life momvement was shouting at Sen. Liberman . . . lol
The Mystery must laugh at me!
Either way.. Specter was castrated. He was forced to submit a statement in writing and was forced to read it publicly that Bush’s nominees would be passed through committee so they could get a floor vote.
On the second hand, Frist, Bush and Hastert better not mess with religious conservatives. They owe us one … these nominees better be anti-Roe vs. Wade !!!!!!