Specter Could Still Cast Key Vote For Obama’s OLC Chief
It’s a key test for newly-minted Democrat Arlen Specter and for Harry Reid’s ability to get anything out of him:
Will Specter vote to break the GOP filibuster of Obama’s pick to head the OLC, Dawn Johnsen, whose fierce criticism of Bush’s expansion of executive powers continues to enrage conservatives?
Specter spokesperson Kate Kelly confirms to me that he could still vote Yes on the cloture vote to break the GOP filibuster and remains undecided on the question.
Specter has said he will vote No on the straight up-or-down vote on Johnsen. But he hasn’t said publicly whether he’ll cast the earlier procedural vote to bring her vote to the floor. Reid has said he doesn’t have the 60 votes necessary to clear that higher hurdle, and the hunt is on for a GOP Senator to help put Johnsen over the top.
But Specter, now a Dem, could still be that person. His spokesperson, to be sure, is also saying that he could still vote No on cloture. But the fact that his office confirms he’s still open to a Yes vote is significant, because many Johnsen supporters have written off the possibility of Specter’s support.
Either way, what Specter does here will be key. If he’s not even willing to cast a procedural vote in favor of such an important Obama nominee, it will raise fresh questions about what Reid, the White House, and the Dem establishment are getting in return for their full-throated support of Specter through the 2010 Pennsylvania primary and beyond.
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I thought Ben Nelson was the key to the nomination. Didn’t Hagel already say he would vote for cloture?
One thing with Specter – you never have to worry about principal getting in the way.
SG — Nelson is already expected to vote for cloture…
SG: Is Hagel in the Senate?
The thing is that neither Reid nor anyone else, including, I suspect, Specter himself, ever knows what he’ll do until he does it. He will say he’s going to vote one way and then when the vote is taken, he votes the other.
Not Hagel, Lugar. My bad
Greg
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I am going by Sam Stein’s reporting which may be wrong.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/14/ben-nelson-tougher-on-oba_n_203447.html
I have never understood why ben Nelson calls himself a Democrat. He is a dyed in the wool Republican and his voting record shows it. But Reid is not the one to read the riot act.
The fact that you folks would consider Specter as uncertain gives me great joy. He’s your problem now. Enjoy!
Well, who knows whether he will remember which side he is on when he votes