Aboard Air Force One en route to Philadelphia with President Bush, Specter told reporters he sees little hope of reaching "an accommodation" over testimony from former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten on the firings of eight U.S. attorneys at the start of Bush's second term.

The House Judiciary Committee Wednesday voted to issue contempt citations against Miers and Bolten, but Specter conceded pursuing such action would be time-consuming and drag on past the inauguration of the next president.