I agree. The investigation has been lagging. That's why they should go to the homes of the people they want to interview, abduct them, and torture them. I hear that's legal now.

How many times and how much more is Specter going to keep trying to cover the butts of Bush/Cheney and all of their wrong doings.

Here Specter is again, singing the same verse of the saame song he usually sings when the Bush/Cheney administration is close to being caught in their own rope.

Give it up, Specter!

You don't have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.

Oh that's winning logic from stealth Specter. A court battle could drag on for years SO let's play BS with the White House for another three to six months and drag it into two and a half maybe three years! Actually, maybe it we hem and haw for another three months something else will have come along that kills the investigation altogether! This is from the man WHO DIDN'T PUT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL UNDER OATH. Specter is NOT a friend, folks. He's a snake.

No oath, not in public and no transcripts. Are you FUJ%&%^#ing kidding me? Ridiculous to even debate, ridiculous. Like having someone PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE AND BLOODY YOUR NOSE and then try to negotiate to be friends. Game Over. Constitutional Crisis folks. This is a band of criminals, and they will effectively destroy the Republican Party. FULL SPEED AHEAD DEMS.

Why not have Bush put his naked ass in our faces and say "May I please kiss it?" This is exactly how democracy is lost. It would only take one time for the Republicans in Congress to stand up and with a substantial majority of the party members back compulsory process to bring Bush's reign of terror to an end. However, that would require Patriotism on the part of Republicans such as shown when Nixon was impeached. THE REPUBLICANS LEARNED THE WRONG LESSON. THEY LEARNED TO PUT THEIR OWN SMALL, SELFISH INTEREST AHEAD OF THOSE OF THIS NATION.

Get them down to Gitmo for a little waterboarding. I mean we need to know what sort of terrism is coming next from this maladministration. It sure isn't the kind that's serving any one in the American electorate except the oligarchs of oil. Secrecy is not ok, for Cheney, for Bush, for the DOJ, for anyone except those who need to be afraid, very afraid.

Shorter Specter: Let's cave now. We'll still get our names in the paper!

Ah, brings back the days of the Gang of 14. The group represented mostly by Lieberman, Collins and Graham who were instrumental in getting Alito confirmed. Only filibuster if absolutely unavoidable, remember? compromise compromise surrender rollover give up go down. Hurray, chipping away at abortion. BOOyah, there goes Brown v. Board of Ed. Hallelujah, goodbye campaign finance reform.

I'll believe one of Arlen Specter's "compromises" is sincere the day after he leaves office.

so how about this: Congress says, "sure, no transcripts, no oath, no subpoenas... whatever you say." And then when the bushco lackeys show up, swear them in anyhow, and tape everything.

"Yeah, I know we said no transcripts. We were lying. Kinda like you were lying when you said the wiretapping program was legal, or "we don't torture," or that politics had nothing to do with the disaster at DOJ, or when you said that Iraq had WMDs. You're on our turf now. Oh, and if you try to walk out, you're getting instant contempt of Congress and we're going to have you handcuffed and dragged out on live television."

Since when is the GOP concerned that things "might drag on" for years? It's dragged on since 2001.

Arguing over whether there will or wll not be a court battle is a red herring. Reject the WH terms. And compel the witness to appear under threat of arrest.

No reason to agree to any WH terms. This is the guy who has lied, ignored the law, and defied is solemn oath. There's no basis to believe this President's promises.

Screw specter. He was in Charge of Judiciary, and did squat.

No reason to listen to him now. He's too late. He had his chance to do "his" hearings "his" way: Look what it got us: More recklessness.

What pressure in Specter on to voice "moderation" by the criminals in the White House Counsel's office? No rason to trust Specter.

Subpeona is the only language! Get on with it. Or as the republicans want they win.

Take what we can get?

We've been taking what we can get for six years now, Senator.

It's damned time we started demanding what we want.

Prosecute these bastards if they don't comply.

That's all I can say is, security code is "crime." Really, it is. How randomly accurate a security code.

It's a really tired act Specter, been there done that way too many times.

Extreme measures are required. I love the idea of agreeing to the WH terms, then having Shumer and Leahy wear a wire to the interviews like FBI agents and posting the audio on the internet. Could be a great episode of TPMTv

Simply put, Arlen Specter is aiding and abetting the criminals in the Bush administration, thus making him an accessory to their ongoing criminal activity.

Our democracy hangs in the balance, Arlen. The rule of law is in tatters. The worst (and most corrupt) administration in American history is busy turning our republic into a Banana Republic, with the help of complicit Banana Republicans like you, Arlen.

Arlen (and all your fellow Banana Republicans), when did you all decide that fascism is preferable to our democratic form of government? When did you decide that kowtowing to the fascist neo-con Republicans in the White House is in the supposed best interests of our nation? When will you, Arlen, and your fellow Banana Republicans, grow a spine and defend our nation and our Constitution from the most evil administration anyone in our country has ever seen.

Sure, Arlen, you and your pals, can run out the clock in hopes of letting Bush and fascist neo-con pals to escape, but following the November 2008 elections, many of your fellow Banana Republicans in Congress will be out of a job. Then, and only then, can a new Congress (and probable Democratic Party president) start to undo the horrific damage you and your Banana Republican cohorts have done to our precious nation.

Specter is likely to soften his stance, then soften his stance again and again until he gives this corrupt administration more than it asked for.

Specter is a tool, we all know it so let's move on. It's clear that Bu$hCo is playing for time,hoping that passage of the '08 elections will signal their finish line. I imagine the various crimnals large and small among them unpacking their crates of chits, favors, and cash sometime in January, '09. This should not happen, and certainly shouldn't be taken as a fait accompli by the impeachment naysayers out there.

All crimes committed by Bu$hCo should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Leahy and Waxman should make VERY clear that November, '08 has no special significance in the legal calendar: prosecutions initiated now (or even later) can and will be pursued after those thugs leave office.

I'm guessing that the clear prospect of prosecution beyond '08 would help some of the underlings re-evaluate their present positions of loyalty.

I am not sure if this article and the associated comments are fair.
After all, Specter did vote for the subpoenas, as the Democrats advocated.
He is not saying that he won't continue to side with the Democrats, he is just saying that he would like to hear from these guys.
So I am not sure it is so bad what he said.

Let's give Arlene what she deserves, a one-way ticket back to PA.

I'm tired of people cowering to a coward. What does Bush have on these people? Are there none in Congress with integrity?

Jonathan at 12:12 am

The White House is offering what they are offering with 'no subsequent subpoenas, no subsequent testimony'. I don't pretend to understand this non offer offer, this take it or leave it stuff, however, it seems like they can lie, they can tell the truth, and neither will matter, because it will be hearsay evidence that can't be used for anything, positive or negative. IANAL, it also seems that even if all the Senators agreed that they heard something that constituted perjury, the perjuryer would end up in court taking the 5th. So the Senators might as well just go straight to court to get the subpoenas honored, or go straight to impeachment, and not screw with this WH non offer offer. My $.02.

Thanks, Tulip. Some of us are still fuming about the Gang of Fourteen coup d'etat. Don't forget folks: this was a bipartisan power ploy that we will be paying for for decades.

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If we go more than two years in litigation, it doesn't have a whole lot of point.

Of course it has a point. We can't just let these scum run out the clock and leave for the cushy lobbying and consulting jobs their allies have lined up for them to pay them back for the vast profits they've made from looting the US treasury. The Bush administration has to be held accountable, even if that accountability doesn't happen until after they've left office.