Arlen Specter: The Cowardly Senator

I am still trying to figure out why many of my fellow progressives/liberals look at Arlen"Snarlin' Arelen" Specter to fight for the constitution. He has been a waffling ankle biter since he took office. His "brave" stands, as of late, end up in a muddled mess of compromise and retreat. Historically Specter has been a moderate willing to compromise on everything including his suposeded belief in a woman's right to choose.
Whether it was his lame demonstration of the magic bullet during the Warren Commision, badgering Anita Hill during the Thomas confirmation hearings, or his abandonment of his so called convictions, Snarlin' Arlen has shown his abundent, lesser, attributes for all the world to see. This latest backtrack does surprise me nor should it surprise anyone.


From The Hill
Specter strikes NSA deal
By Alexander Bolton

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and conservative members of his panel have reached agreement on legislation that may determine the legality of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance program, GOP sources say.

Specter has mollified conservative opposition to his bill by agreeing to drop the requirement that the Bush administration seek a legal judgment on the program from a special court set up by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978.

Instead, Specter agreed to allow the administration to retain an important legal defense by allowing the court, which holds its hearings in secret, to review the program only by hearing a challenge from a plaintiff with legal standing, said a person familiar with the text of language agreed to by Specter and committee conservatives.

Glenn Greenwald has more at Unclaimed Territory