wrote:
Much of the media was all aflutter (or maybe a-twitter...) over Specter
switching parties, but he votes nay on Obama's budget, and then, he's the
possible/probable go-to guy for a yea vote on getting an iffy nominee of Obama's
for SCOTUS out of committee - by current rules, at least one R must vote yes to
get a nom out of the committee.

That's not technically true. One member of the minority must
vote yes to end the debate before a nomination can be listed for
Committee consideration during an Executive Business Meeting.
Once the nomination is listed for consideration a simple majority
vote determines whether the nomination is ordered reported to the
full Senate.

Specter certainly knew that and I'm pretty sure
Souter would have, too. I've heard, um, "speculation" (again, DC style) that
most middle-of-road types of both parties intend that any potential noms need to
be, well, middle-of-the-road types - they better be somewhere between Souter and
Roberts, and another Sandra Day O'Connor-type would be OK, but some half-assed
Ruth Ginsburg-wannabe (I'm not sure even an actual RBG clone would fly) would
not.

The Republicans wouldn't dare hold up a Supreme Court nominee in
committee by refusing to allow the Judiciary Committee to hold a
vote. That's a non-starter, more deancounter wishful thinking, and
I'm sure the thought never crossed Souter's mind.

But, having said that, I sure do wish they'd try. Talk about a PR
nightmare for the GOP in the mid-terms.

--
Ken Fortenberry