WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Moderate Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania wants to argue his case for being chairman the Senate Judiciary Committees before the panel.
Specter has asked outgoing committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, to allow him to make his case for taking over as chair before committee members in a closed-door meeting when the Senate returns to session next week.
The move comes in response to a conservative backlash over comments made by Specter last week that appeared to be a warning to President Bush not to attempt to appoint anti-abortion justices to the federal bench.
Specter's support among Senate Republicans appears intact, but he is clearly under siege, and has made the rounds on television and radio to argue his case.
Although Specter is in line for the position, his comments have resulted in a flurry of condemnation from conservative Republicans, despite efforts to backtrack on what he has since said was not a warning.
He says he would not hold judicial nominees to an abortion litmus test.
