Specter, Schumer Cave

The Huffington Post reports that Attorney General nominee Michael B. Mukasey was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee today by a vote of 11 to 8, with Charles Schumer of New York and Dianne Feinstein of California breaking ranks with their Democratic colleagues. This virtually assures approval by the full Senate, though Democrats could filibuster, which of course they won't.

Approval came only after Senators Schumer and Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, the ranking Repub, each had a chat with Mukasey. In what would have been a bizarre event- were it not the Bush White House, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported in today's edition, prior to the vote

"A ranking White House official didn't ask, but told me that there was a question as to whether I would be breaching classified information by telling another committee member who had not been read into the program what the program was," Specter said. "How do you like that kettle of fish? And they expect us to pass on Mukasey?"
Specter, who was briefed on the interrogation program along with the committee chairman, Patrick J. Leahy (D., Vt.), said he took the warning as a threat.
"They didn't say I 'would be,' but they said I 'could be' and once they said I could be, you know damn well I wouldn't do it," the senator said. (A White House spokesman denied even subtlely threatening Specter.)

So in yet another of Arlen Specter's characteristic profiles of courage, he was threatened, then caved.

No matter. Senator Schumer, who had recommended the former federal district judge, who apparently can't decide whether waterboarding constitutes torture, decided to vote for Mukasey after speaking to him last week. Specter was allegedly reassured by the candidate after talking to him yesterday, November 5. Two questions occur: does a member of Congress ever vote against a nominee after speaking personally to him/her? And if not, is the conversation much more than a charade- an opportunity to rationalize a vote in favor of a controversial nominee?