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Specter May Chair Crime and Drugs Subcommittee

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Thu May 07, 2009 at 11:08:02 AM EST
Tags: Arlen Specter (all tags)
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Update: Not so fast. Sen. Patrick Leahy is objecting.

The Democrats today handed Sen. Arlen Specter the chairmanship of the judicairy Committee's Crime and Drugs subcommittee.

The Crime and Drugs panel is Judiciary's busiest subcommittee, responsible for oversight of the Justice Department, federal prosecutors, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and drug control policy.

Dick Durbin, who currently holds the position, with switch to being Chair of the Human Rights subcommittee. To accomplish the deal, the Dems restored the human rights subcommittee, which was dissolved in January.

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    Specter May Chair Crime and Drugs Subcommittee | 29 comments (29 topical)

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    Take heart (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by jbindc on Thu May 07, 2009 at 11:17:23 AM EST
    Maybe he won't hold any hearings...

    And now with Tom Ridge not running (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by andgarden on Thu May 07, 2009 at 12:15:27 PM EST
    the real race for this seat is in the Democratic primary. Time to seriously push Specter left.

    he said that? (none / 0) (#15)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu May 07, 2009 at 01:22:19 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Yup (none / 0) (#16)
    by andgarden on Thu May 07, 2009 at 01:24:27 PM EST
    Ridge is out.

    [ Parent ]
    thats awsum (none / 0) (#18)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu May 07, 2009 at 01:31:17 PM EST
    and sort of surprising.  presidential run?

    [ Parent ]
    NAH (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by andgarden on Thu May 07, 2009 at 01:59:11 PM EST
    Money's good in lobbying.

    [ Parent ]
    I dont know (none / 0) (#22)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:27:48 PM EST
    seems to me by the time 2012 rolls around he might be just the kind of candidate republicans with two brain cells left to rub together might be looking for.

    [ Parent ]
    A Pro-Choice Republican? (none / 0) (#23)
    by andgarden on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:31:36 PM EST
    No way.

    [ Parent ]
    but thats exactly what I mean (none / 0) (#24)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:33:14 PM EST
    I think by 2012 they will be pretty tried of wandering in the freakin wilderness with the bible thumpers.

    [ Parent ]
    Takes longer than that to change a party (none / 0) (#25)
    by andgarden on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:37:26 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    maybe (none / 0) (#26)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:44:23 PM EST
    but they are going to get hosed again in 2010 and I think things will start to happen after that.

    then again, maybe not.
    IMO Ridge would be a very appealing presidential candidate.  for a republican I mean.


    [ Parent ]

    I said a year or so ago (none / 0) (#28)
    by andgarden on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:51:32 PM EST
    that I hoped when the Republicans eventually took back the House, I wouldn't care that they did. I think they've got a while longer in the wilderness, to be honest.

    It might be ten years before they get back a lever of government.

    [ Parent ]

    Excellent (none / 0) (#19)
    by ruffian on Thu May 07, 2009 at 01:40:26 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    So, you think this means (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by Anne on Thu May 07, 2009 at 12:19:02 PM EST
    someone wants to hold hearings on human rights issues - like torture?  

    Seems like there would be a lot to talk about.

    As for Arlen, I am already sick of hearing his name.

    I wouldn't hold my breath. (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by oldpro on Thu May 07, 2009 at 12:33:02 PM EST
    Can't quite picture Dick Durbin holding hearings that might embarrass anyone in the Obama administration.

    I'm willing to be surprised.

    [ Parent ]

    You may be right (none / 0) (#17)
    by Spamlet on Thu May 07, 2009 at 01:30:17 PM EST
    Can't quite picture Dick Durbin holding hearings that might embarrass anyone in the Obama administration.

    In any case (and slightly O/T), Durbin is owed a big apology from those who coerced an apology from him for his accurate characterization of Bushco war crimes a few years back.

    [ Parent ]

    So... in the tradition of 11-dimensional (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by Anne on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:07:08 PM EST
    chess, could Durbin be resurrecting a subcommittee for the express purpose of controlling the torture issue, making sure nothing happens that might force Obama or Holder to do something?

    I actually would not be surprised if that's what's going on.

    My cynicism grows daily...


    [ Parent ]

    Would not surprise me at all (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by ruffian on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:44:54 PM EST
    if he is trying to contain the issue for the Administraiton. Keep it in a nice little box.

    [ Parent ]
    That's why I'm not holding (5.00 / 0) (#29)
    by oldpro on Thu May 07, 2009 at 04:31:17 PM EST
    my breath.  Color me suspicious on this move.

    [ Parent ]
    Well,since Specter has oversight ... (5.00 / 0) (#8)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 07, 2009 at 12:23:00 PM EST
    ... of federal prosecutors and drug laws, I'd like him to find out why Mary Beth Buchanan thought Tommy Chong was such a major vicarious threat to American society that he had to be imprisoned by the Feds for nine months, and why someone like her, who's clearly too cuckoo for cocoa puffs, is still the U.S. Attorney in Pittsburgh.

    She was likely originally appointed (none / 0) (#9)
    by andgarden on Thu May 07, 2009 at 12:26:21 PM EST
    at the suggestion of either Santorum of Specter (I don't know which). I think the chances of Specter going after her are pretty low.

    [ Parent ]
    It's time to push Snarlin Arlen OUT (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by tokin librul on Thu May 07, 2009 at 12:54:05 PM EST
    the real race for this seat is in the Democratic primary. Time to seriously push Specter left.

    As weak and feckless as the Dims are, Specter will NEVER be a reliable vote on anything.

    Pushing him left? Why? Just nominate somebody who's already "left," and can be trusted to try to remain so...

    "Trust" is overrated (5.00 / 2) (#12)
    by andgarden on Thu May 07, 2009 at 12:56:38 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Go Leahy! (5.00 / 0) (#13)
    by ruffian on Thu May 07, 2009 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    All pressure possible should be applied to Specter.

    Bizarro World (5.00 / 0) (#14)
    by ruffian on Thu May 07, 2009 at 01:13:27 PM EST
    Durbin's move was designed to placate Republican-turned-Democrat Specter after Democrats failed to honor his 28 years of seniority on committees. Democrats hope to keep Specter's Pennsylvania Senate seat in next year's elections.

    I will never believe that the best way for Dems to control that Senate seat is to keep Arlen Specter in it.

    Well, he pretty much had to get something (none / 0) (#1)
    by andgarden on Thu May 07, 2009 at 11:11:14 AM EST
    He voted with the Dems 100% yesterday. If that continues, a subcommittee chairmanship will be worth it.

    i think (none / 0) (#3)
    by CST on Thu May 07, 2009 at 11:29:20 AM EST
    he learned his lesson.

    he also back-tracked on the coleman thing.

    the one good thing about a pol being a pol i gues...

    [ Parent ]

    He should have learned from Kirsten Gillibrand (none / 0) (#4)
    by andgarden on Thu May 07, 2009 at 11:32:30 AM EST
    If you're going to make a big change in politics, make it quickly.

    [ Parent ]
    An arena... (none / 0) (#5)
    by kdog on Thu May 07, 2009 at 11:57:02 AM EST
    where it doesn't matter what party you're in...crime and drugs.  D and/or R = Totally freakin' shot.

    Specter May Chair Crime and Drugs Subcommittee | 29 comments (29 topical)

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