Durbin to give up subcommittee chairmanship in favor of Specter

[JonLP24]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, is giving up his chairmanship of the Crime and Drugs Subcommittee and giving it to Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pennsylvania, Durbin spokesman Joe Shoemaker said Thursday.

Durbin, the second ranking Democrat in the Senate, agreed to do give up the post after a day of intense negotiations and public feuding between Specter and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid over Democrats stripping Specter of his seniority on key committees.

The subcommittee is a relatively powerful position in that it apparently oversees about 60 percent of the Department of Justice, according to Shoemaker.

A Democratic leadership source, who did not want to speak on the record about internal Democratic dynamics, also told CNN that Democrats decided to do this for Specter for two main reasons.



Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/07/durbin-to-give-up-subcommittee-chairmanship-in-favor-of-specter/

[msongs]

1. the trojan horse is now parked in the garage nt

[eShirl]

2. gaaaaa!

:banghead:

[JI7]

3. Durbin should be the Majority Leader

[rwheeler31]

4. Crime and drugs subcommittee? I am just not feeling the

the power.

[Politicalboi]

5. WTF?

Specter deserves nothing. I sure hope he loses in 2010. Mr. Magic bullet indeed.
The subcommittee is a relatively powerful position in that it apparently oversees about 60 percent of the Department of Justice, according to Shoemaker.

[aquart]

6. So Leahy is okay with it now?

<http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gVxZU8Co2GhDJbwy1R6zN6sHO-CAD981GQSG0>

<http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/07/source-durbin-gives-specter-judiciary-subcommittee-chair/>

[downindixie]

7. How can letting Howdy Doody into

the Democratic party benefits Dems? He's already stated that he will not be loyal to the Democratic party.I thought a pledge was essential to join! I have no use for the asshole!

[Bodhi BloodWave]

11. could be me misunderstanding him

but i read his 'i didn't promise to be a loyal democrat' as 'i won't vote in lockstep if it goes against my values or what i consider best for my constituents'

If the above is correct tho, it was a rather catastrophic choice of words, it is however something I'd agree with him on. I will admit that this is pure speculation tho and as such only worth what my opinion is worth :p

[catrose]

8. 60 % of DoJ?

Under Specter? Are they nuts?

[Cass]

9. WTF. Why are Dems always so damn willing to cave under the slightest pressure?

What is wrong with letting Specter cool his jets as a junior member until the next session? He hasn't exactly been supportive of Dem goals and legislation since he jumped ship. I don't understand why Dems always cave in, it never serves them well because the RW bashes the shit out of them anyway. Why can't they just grow a spine and use it??

:argh:

[bdamomma]

14. nothing like being crapped on all the time, we are majority

apparently we don't know how to use that power.

[liberalmuse]

10. Holy shit.

Now there's a surprise. We fuck good dems for this sorry piece of shit? Nice. :mad:

[scentopine]

12. Exactly why Obama will not and cannot change a thing -

Specter was a bargain with the devil and Dems will lose. A majority of dems went ga-ga over this. Anyone who has followed specter's career knows he is a conniving snake. Specter is about as rotten as it gets when it comes to Justice subcommittee. So, we just moved the democratic party to a hard right. Specter is like pouring gas on the fire. Not the change I was hoping for...

Realistically, Obama would never have been elected if he really was going to change anything. Corporate America would have seen to that. Or have the standards of change fallen so low that change now means "frowning on torture" "looking past the looting of the treasury by wall street" "moving forward with wiretapping..."

Justice is the vehicle for change and we are not seeing justice. So, there is no motive for change. Over recent times, each violation of the US, its citizens, the constitution is on an exponentially increasing scale- Watergate, Iran Contra, Bank Fiasco #1, Enron, Bank Fiasco #2, Iraq war #2, Torture, Wiretapping - there is no limit of the malfeasance possible by this new nation-state governed by giant corporations. Each fiasco invites a bigger next fiasco.

Talk is cheap. Nothing changes without justice. We do not have justice so we will continue to be treated like cattle by this new and corrupt corporate state. Yes, it is fair to call it fascism. Now, watch how the insurance companies end up reaming us all. Word is out that they feel cheated out by wall street and they want their share. After all, they too are too big to fail.

Abuse breeds abuse. We are being abused by our government, so we abuse each other. Only real leadership can change this. We haven't seen it yet.

But the new puppy in the Whitehouse is cute, I'll give you that.

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. Well put.

[RedCloud]

13. Why not appoint Ken Starr to investigate this Specter?

1. Do you still haunt Europe?
2. Why did you make me get dirty against Clinton?
3. Why did you say Coleman won the recount?

[AKing]

15. No sanctuary for endangered Repukes!!

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. Spectre, having a stong voice in next SCOTUS?

Durbin, saying " the banks run Congress" then rolling over for Spectre.?

"public feuding between Specter and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid" ?

Reid fueding ? That would take energy and animation, wouldn't it?