Take What We Can Get

Our illustrious "aprincipled" PA Senator, Arlen Specter, who started the whole US Attorney mess by changing the statutory approval process, see Frick & Frack, has truly earned his "Wafflin' Arlen" name.

Via Attytood, Paul Kane of the Washington Post's Capitol Briefing blog, Specter's Sphinx-Like Vote, reports on the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote to authorize subpoenas:

After 90 minutes of heated debate, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) went along with Republican requests not to hold a roll-call vote. So, Leahy ordered a voice vote and barked out for all those in favor of the subpoenas to say "aye" - and all 10 Democrats clearly yelled "aye", as did Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa).

Specter, who is advocating a compromise in which Rove would testify publicly but not under oath and without being subpoenaed, clearly opened his mouth and seemed to move his lips.

Then Leahy asked for the "nays", and Specter's mouth didn't open a sliver. Capitol Briefing convened a meeting of reporters afterward to decide whether Specter had voted in favor of the subpoenas. There was no clear answer, no one could actually confirm whether they heard him say "aye".

After a bit of waffling by refusing to answer queries from the press on his actual vote, Arlen finally responded:

"The fact of the matter is that I did not say anything. I did not vote and say either 'aye' or 'nay'. I just sat there hoping that it would all go away through negotiations," he said. "Factually, I did not say a thing."

Is it clear then?

He simply has no position. The mouth might have opened, but nothing was said.

It is very clear to those who know Arlen. Specter, who has long had a reputation as "Wafflin' Arlen" because he is able to talk out of both sides of his mouth at once, see We're in Trouble, is taking it to a new level.

Arlen Specter: No Sound, All Fury. He stands for nothing.

(Video via Talking Points Memo)

Tags: Pennsylvania, Politics, Law, Arlen Specter, Video, Attorneygate