Many pro-life Catholics, especially in Pennsylvania, are familiar with the name Arlen Specter. It haunts them in their sleep, because despite the fact that Sen. Arlen Specter is the senior Republican Senator from Pennsylvania, he is also strongly pro-abortion.
He is so strongly pro-abortion that he received a 90% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America in 2000, meaning that his Senate votes went the way NARAL wanted them to 90% of the time.
In 2001-2002, Specter received a 0% rating from the National Right to Life Committee. Only in an election year does Specter start turning his Senate votes toward the pro-life cause, presumably because he fears that the pro-life Republican base in Pennsylvania will vote against him. That's why he received only a 21% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America in 2003, and a much higher 64% rating from the National Right to Life Committee in 2003-2004.
But make no mistake, Specter is pro-abortion. His answer to an abortion rights question in the National Political Awareness Test sent to him by Project Vote Smart really says it all. He answered that abortions should always be legal, that abortions should be legal when pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, and that abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered. In fairness to Specter, he also answered that partial-birth abortion should be prohibited, making him just a little bit pro-life — but just a little bit.
Sen. Specter has received a lot of attention lately because he is next in line to become Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, since he is the senior Republican on the Committee. Pro-life groups have begun to oppose Specter's candidacy for chairmanship of the committee, not only because of his atrocious voting record on abortion, but also because he has been reported as “warning” President Bush not to send judicial nominees who are overly pro-life or overly conservative to the Senate for confirmation. Although he claims now that his remarks were misconstrued, as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Specter would be in a powerful position to aid in either the confirmation or the rejection of President Bush's judicial nominees and his recent communication is troubling. Given his pro-abortion record, the National Right to Life Committee has issued a legislative action alert asking pro-lifers to oppose Sen. Specter's candidacy for chairmanship of the committee by writing to Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN), the Senate Majority Leader, and by writing to their own senators.
In that action alert, the National Right to Life Committee stated that in order to oppose Specter's candidacy, another Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee would have to challenge him. If the challenger can take enough support away from Specter, all of the Senate Republicans (most of whom are pro-life) will vote by secret ballot for the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. If Specter's challenger were a strong pro-life candidate, it is altogether likely that he could become the next Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee instead of Arlen Specter. The question now facing the pro-life movement is: Are there such candidates on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and if so, which one is the most viable candidate to challenge Specter?
There are several strongly pro-life senators on the Judiciary Committee: Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), current chairman; Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA); Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ); Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH); Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL); Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID); Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA); and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). All of these men should be proud of their strongly pro-life records. But one of these men stands out as the most viable candidate to challenge Specter: Sen. Mike DeWine.
Of the senior senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. DeWine holds the most consistent 100% ratings from the National Right to Life Committee and the most consistent 0% ratings from NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. As the senior senator from battleground Ohio, Sen. DeWine stands in a unique position to rally the support of Senate Republicans, because Ohio was so decisive in deciding the recent presidential election in favor of President Bush. Not only will DeWine make a better Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee than Sen. Specter, but his chairmanship of the committee could gather even more support in future congressional and presidential elections from Ohio's conservative, pro-life base, which is made up of many Evangelicals and Catholics. It also should be known that Sen. DeWine is a Catholic who is faithful to the pro-life teachings of the Church.
When it comes to chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, there is one thing that should be abundantly clear to everyone: “Anybody But Specter” is the motto of the day. As a decision approaches and the Republicans still don't have anyone to challenge Specter's candidacy, it should also be clear that a strongly pro-life challenger must soon arise from within the Republican Party. Based on his strong pro-life record and his powerful regional influence, I believe that Sen. Mike DeWine is that challenger. I'm asking those who agree with me to join with me in encouraging Sen. DeWine to take the bold step of challenging Specter, for the sake of millions of lives that could be saved. Together, and with the help of the Lord of Life, we can make a difference in Congress and in the Supreme Court.
Those who read this article may also be interested in the legislative action alert from the National Right to Life Committee, the Project Vote Smart website, and the Not Specter website.
© Copyright 2004 Catholic Exchange
Nathan Nelson is a 20-year-old layman and freelance writer from the Diocese of Steubenville in Ohio. He is a convert to the Catholic Faith, confirmed and received into the Church on the Easter Vigil of 2003. He is also a member of the Militia Immaculata.
