Uber-RINO Senator Arlen Specter, fresh from winning his 37th term in the Senate, took the opportunity to thank President Bush yesterday for saving his bacon in the Republican primary against Pat Toomey. His thanks took the form of a ‘warning’ to President Bush not to “try to bring none of those fundie God-obsessed wife-beatin’ Klan-member Bible-thumping abortion-hating wymyn-and-minority-oppressin’ HATE-mongerin’ judge nominations into MY Judiciary Committee, or I’ll havta open up a CAN on him” (the quote is from memory; I might not have it precisely worded).

Stephen Moore suggested in February that Specter would be a perfect running mate for Kerry. And campaign-style “Kerry/Specter” signs seen in NE Philly drew the ire of Specter’s Senate opponent Hoeffel. Presumably, the ire was drawn because Hoeffel (and Specter’s campaign) recognized that (1) Kerry and Specter are a matched pair, and (2) the connection was beneficial to Specter (REEEE-noooo, REEEE-noooo, REEEE-noooo).

Specter, now 114, is serving his last Senate term, and apparently intends to make the most of it in the service of his liberal friends. Note to Senate Republicans: It’s his last term; do you know what that means? It means that you don’t have to let him have the Judiciary Committee. Shoot, you don’t have to let him have anything. For once, just for something new to do, stand up him and tell him to shut up.

More on this from Volokh, Old Politico, For the Common Defense, and many others.

UPDATE: Well, apparently the backlash from Arlen’s spouting has been felt rather - warmly - in the Senator’s office. So warmly, in fact, that he felt compelled to release this little bit of spin:

“Contrary to press accounts, I did not warn the President about anything and was very respectful of his Constitutional authority on the appointment of federal judges.

“As the record shows, I have supported every one of President Bush’s nominees in the Judiciary Committee and on the Senate floor. I have never and would never apply any litmus test on the abortion issue and, as the record shows, I have voted to confirm Chief Justice Rehnquist, Justice O’Connor, and Justice Kennedy and led the fight to confirm Justice Thomas.

OK. Right. Check. Disinginuity meter: completely pegged. Pants on fire and all of that. But at least he is having to run away from his own statements, and less than 24 hours later.

Please, I urge you: contact the Republican Senators who will be making committee appointments. Don’t let this man near the levers of power in this upcoming Senate.