Specter Impresses

As I was with the Roberts hearings, I have been very impressed, at least so far, with the way Senator Arlen Specter, the Judiciary Committee chairman, has handled himself concerning the Harriet Miers nomination. Senator Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the Committee, has done a noteworthy job as well, and both deserve the country's thanks for working hard to ensure that neither process has devolved into partisan cat-fighting.

Yesterday on the talk shows, Specter reiterated that he will ask Ms. Miers tough questions when she comes before the committee for her confirmation hearings, and he even expressed an interest in hearing from James Dobson. Dobson, you'll remember, said he knew things about Miers that he "can't talk about." Said Specter, "If there are backroom assurances and there are backroom deals, and if there is something which bears upon a precondition as to how a nominee is going to vote, I think that's a matter that ought to be known by the Judiciary Committee and the American people."

Absolutely right. We all ought to consider ourselves very lucky that it is Specter sitting at the helm this year.