Inappropriate Content: Kakistocracy©

One of the few bright spots in the Senate next year: term limits are depriving Orrin Hatch of his chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee.

In line to replace Hatch is Pennsylvania Republican Arlen Specter. He often appears liberal because he has to sit next to Rick Santorum. USA Today reports:

Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, in comments last week, noted that Senate Democrats have staged filibusters to block confirmation votes on federal judge nominees who oppose abortion and most likely would do so again. I would expect the president to be mindful of that, he said. Some GOP conservatives took that as a warning that Specter would keep such nominations from a vote and said Specter should be denied the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he is in line to assume next year.

Specter pointed out Sunday that he had supported all of Bush's nominees, regardless of their positions on abortion. Although I am pro-choice, I have supported many pro-life nominees, he said on the CBS program Face the Nation.

[Bush advisor Karl] Rove said Specter has pledged to hold hearings quickly on any Bush appointments and bring them to a vote: Sen. Specter's a man of his word. We'll take him at his word.

I used to watch a lovely Aussie comedy called The Games. It was a fake documentary about the bureaucrats trying to organize the 2000 Summer Olympics. They had a running gag: if the minister for the Olympics expressed his complete support for someone, that person was effectively unemployed and it was safe to lay claim on his or her parking spot.

Robert Novak (yuck) launched the opening broadside against Specter. Remember, any hint of disloyalty to President Bush is proof of treachery to Novak, and anyone proven guilty must be shown to be entirely diabolical—or at least in league with the devil. Novak concludes that "Specter's and John Kerry's positions [on abortion] are indistinguishable."

Assuming that Specter cannot and will not make a flat commitment of support [for Bush's judicial nominees], the prospect of his imminent chairmanship poses tests for two ambitious Republicans. Will Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, eyeing the White House, marshal his power to block Specter's ascension? Will Senate Republican Conference Chairman Santorum, after alienating his base by backing Specter against serious conservative opposition in this year's Pennsylvania primary, turn against his colleague?

Did you catch how quick that happened? The suggestion that Specter might not give unqualified support to Bush's nominees right now—before we even know who they are—and Novak jumps right to figuring out how to get him out of there.

Absolute personal loyalty to President Bush. Robert Novak demands it.

A final frightening thought:

[Majority Leader Bill Frist] is considering asking the full Republican Conference to waive term limits for Hatch.