Arlen Specter Refutes Rick Santorum’s Debate Claim About Judicial Nominee Deals: ‘That Is Flatly Not True’

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by Alex Alvarez | 10:40 am, February 24th, 2012

» 25 comments

Former Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter (D) appeared on Chuck Todd‘s Daily Rundown Friday morning to clarify his relationship to current GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum. Specter, as you’re likely aware, was a Republican from 1965, until switching back over to the Democratic party in 2009.

During Wednesday night’s Arizona debate, rival candidate Mitt Romney drew attention to Santorum’s 2004 endorsement of Specter, adding that “if you had not supported him…we would not have ObamaCare.” As The Washington Post reports, Santorum’s support for Specter has provided fuel for Romney and his campaign in the form of a political attack ad focusing on Specter’s liberal record.

“We had an excellent relationship,” Specter said of himself and Santorum. “When his campaign for the Senate was in the doldrums in August of 1994, I put my whole campaign apparatus at his disposal.”

He also said that he doesn’t have a “litmus test” when it comes to his political support, noting that, while he is personally pro-choice, he has supported pro-life Supreme Court nominees like Antonin Scalia.

He made sure to clarify, however, that Santorum was not being truthful when he suggested to Romney that he had cut a deal with Specter, pledging to support him in exchange for Specter’s support of President George W. Bush‘s judicial nominees:

That is flatly not true. We never had any such conversation. It would be improper to make a commitment on a vote before I knew who the nominee was and whether I thought the nominee was qualified. I’ve got a very strong reputation and a record behind it not to make deals like that.

Later, Specter characterized himself as an “independent,” with Todd noting that he is, nonetheless, still a registered Democrat.

Have a look, via MSNBC:

Arlen Specter, Rick Santorum

Anonymous

I’ve seen enough decisions out of this SCOTUS that I believe America needs to re-visit the idea of lifetime appointments.
Anonymous

If I were Santorum I’d just say “he has his version of events, I have mine”. It sounds like, in this case, there was a lot of back scratching going on and neither of them will look clean after a close investigation
Anonymous

This little opportunistic nebbish is a good example of why career politicians are toxic to the successful prosecution of our style of government,,,
Anonymous

Agreed…

20 years sounds about right to me…
Anonymous

Santorum, Specter, and Backscratching. Three words I’d rather not see together :)
http://www.madcharles.com/ MadCharles

Specter would sell his own mother if it leads to his personnel gain.
Charles Ulysses Feney

More twists and turns in this story than Specter’s Magic Bullet Theory!
Anonymous

I just watched the clip.
Here is a clue!
Spector’s lips were moving….
Need I say more?
Anonymous

With friends like Specter, who needs enemies. I don’t trust him or Santorum.
Anonymous

took it for the team!
Anonymous

I agree, and I suspect Specter sent a text to Santorum to the effect ”you #@$@ this is inside baseball keep your mouth shut”
Anonymous

I just realized if you put what Specter is saying in “standard form” it’s something like this:

1.It would be improper to make a commitment before a vote

2. I have a strong record of not doing improper things

3. Therefore, I did not make a commitment before the vote

I think you could put some pressure on premise 2 without much difficulty; especially if you add the hidden premise ”PA politics are really corrupt”
http://twitter.com/Kattyusa Katty

This isn’t the first time Santorum has lied.
Anonymous

Looks like Froth made up the conversation he had with Arlen Specter. No matter, I’m sure this conversation happened somewhere in the Bible or something.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/CRMOF34AMDNSN5CEBGJXD2OUGM Wayne

….does this mean Santorum is lying about Satan, too????
Zigeunerweisen

I’m sorry I’m going to have to take the words of Mr. Specter with a grain of salt. Why, you ask? Because, after being with the Republican party for many decades, Mr. Specter decided to change parties “just” to win an election. Now we are stuck with “he said, he said.”
Anonymous

Ronald Reagan switched parties, Teddy Rosevelt switched parties, Abraham Lincoln switched parties. Some of the greatest Republicans of all time switched parties. For that, you’re dismissing what Arlen Specter says?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Emma-Thomas/100003357377085 Emma Thomas

Santorum is toast. Check out ‘intrade’. Republicans are not stupid enough to nominate him. More is the pity.
Zigeunerweisen

Yea, but Ronald Reagan did it in the middle of his career, Theo opened
up the party he switched to, and Lincoln left the party that was gonna
die anyway in the next 2 years. (Abandon ship much, Lincoln?)

Maybe its just me, but Specter has the appearance of those folks that
take politically expedient positions. After reading the article, I
watched the vid. And guess what? Mr. Specter is an independent again.
Lawls.
Anonymous

a real slimy political hack politician, probably getting something from oba’mao’
http://www.facebook.com/people/Rick-Johnson/100000190455903 Rick Johnson

If i remember right Santorum said that he made his decision because Spector was the chair of the committee and in a position of power. Thus in a better position to get nominees brought up for a vote.
Anonymous

I think it’s because he’s a politician. At the end of the day, these are some of the most self serving people in America. But I gotta ask, what does Specter stand to gain by denying that this conversation ever happened? Keep in mind that Santorum was defending him from Romney’s attacks.
Anonymous

Best thing Arlen ever did was come up with ‘the single bullet theory” of the JFK assassination. No one believed it at the time, but over the years, through many demonstrations, it has been proven to be the correct explanation.

Even conspiracy advocate Dr. Cyril Wecht eventually agreed with the theory.
http://gamewhen.com/ Michael T

I agree.

Politifact has five at this link:
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/rick-santorum/statements/byruling/false/
Anonymous

Arlen Specter US Senator from Pennsylvania, wrote the Warren Report, the official inquiry into President John Kennedy’s death, that said Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone, shot the President in Dallas Texas, 22 November 1963.

http://i.min.us/ib5j8i.jpg

Specter should go before a court of capital jurisdiction, and explain why he neglected the photo, that shows Lee Oswald at the door of the Texas School Book Depository, the building from where he is alleged to have fired, as the shots rang out.