Specter of Doubt

In an interview on Fox News Sunday, Judiciary Committee chair Arlen Specter (R-PA) waxed pessimistic about the prospects of the President’s controversial renominations of Boyle, Haynes, Myers, Smith and Wallace. “I think it’s tough,” Senator Specter said, when asked about the chances of confirming any of the five before Congress adjourns in a month. Senator Specter also acknowledged that Boyle’s nomination has “big problems.” And Wallace, according to Specter, may face “a steep climb,” and is “[a]bsolutely not” a lock to be confirmed. Senator Specter stepped down his criticism of the American Bar Association’s not-qualified rating of Wallace, saying that the Senate will “consider what the [ABA] has to say.”