A commenter on Captain's Quarters named Caleb, asks some pointed rhetorical questions of those conservatives, like Hugh Hewitt, who think that Arlen Specter should be allowed to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Captain, are you and your hero, Hewitt, familiar with Specter's record. Do you understand that there will be NO tort reform with Specter chairing the Judiciary Comm.?

Do you understand that Specter's absolute buddy, Joe Biden, will be a de facto Co-chairman of the comm.? Do you understand that Specter will make sure Biden knows exactly what strategy the Reps. are going to use? Do you understand that Specter will have no qualms whatever in abrogating any understanding with the GOP caucus the moment he thinks it is to his advantage?

Could you explain to me why we should have bothered to defeat the prime Dem obstructionist, Daschle, if you then immediately put a GOP liberal RINO obstructionist in charge of the Judiciary Comm.? Do you understand that Specter is NOT likely to switch parties because he will then finish out his career in the minority instead of the majority? Do you understand that it would take 6 switches to change the majority in the Senate?

Do you understand that the Conservatives engineered a victory here? Do you understand that the winners are allowed to permit the losers to compromise instead of giving up the moment they manage to win?

Do you understand that Specter will not achieve filabuster reform, but will blame it on anyone but himself? Do you understand that anything the ATA or ABA want will instantly be Specter's command? Do you even begin to understand that this resistance to Specter does NOT begin and end with Roe v Wade?

Do you understand that Specter has earned his reputation as one of the nastiest and least trustworthy of the 100 senators? Do you understand that, when you win the battle, that is the time to ensure that your opponent can never again threaten you and that you do NOT back off and give him back his weapon? The Dems understand that.

Could you perhaps explain why we should bother to win if all we are going to then do is to give our opponents a "do over" to try again?

Do you also support the practice of not keeping score in sports so as not to "humiliate" the loser?

Here's a link to Captain Ed's post -- scroll down a bit to see Caleb's comment in its original location.

Specter's defenders are fond of pointing out his support for Clarence Thomas and in recent years for some of President Bush's judicial appointees, but it should be noted that Specter moves to the right in the year or two before an re-election campaign, to fend off any primary challenges, then moves back to the left immediately after winning re-election. At age 74, Republicans will no longer have re-election as a means of keeping Specter in line with the rest of the caucus.