"I would expect the president to be mindful of the considerations which I am mentioning," Specter said.

As we noted last week, the rambunctious RINO finagled an endorsement from the pro-Democrat Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by vowing to obstruct any judicial nominees who aren't pro-abortion.

Nice way to pay back the president's support in the primary election, when Specter faced a strong challenge from an actual Republican, Pat Toomey.

Recall that in April, fighting for his political life, Specter said, "I think it's very important to focus on what President Bush wants." But as soon as he had dispatched Toomey, Specter threatened to obstruct the president.

Apparently the Democrats don't need Tom Daschle as long as the Republicans are stuck with Arlen Specter.

The Associated Press reported today: "Legal scholar Dennis Hutchinson said Specter's message to the White House appears to be 'a way of asserting his authority' as he prepares to chair the Judiciary Committee when Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is term-limited from keeping the post next year."

But can Specter assume the chairmanship is his? Perhaps not.

"We'll have to see where he stands," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. "I'm hoping that he will stand behind the president's nominees. I'm intending to sit down and discuss with him how things are going to work. We want to know what he's going do and how things are going to work."

Though Specter is no giant in the Senate, he sniped that America today lacked justices comparable to legal heavyweights such as Oliver Wendell Holmes, Louis Brandeis, Benjamin Cardozo and Thurgood Marshall, "who were giants of the Supreme Court."

Of course, Robert Bork would be a giant of the Supreme Court today, if Specter hadn't helped Democrats Bork him.

Editor's note: