Specter Decries Bush 'Pummeling' on Miers

The nomination has drawn criticism from conservatives who say Miers lacks proven conservative credentials and a judicial background. They want more information on whether she would vote to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

"I'm really sorry that on doctrinal grounds they don't understand that she cannot tip her hand on Roe. I really think ... they're failing to understand a very basic constitutional principle of judicial independence," Specter, R-Pa., said in an interview with reporters and editors from The Associated Press.

"I think the president is taking a tremendous pummeling on it— unfairly. I think the stampede to judgment is not right," he said.

Specter said he would like to start the hearings in late October or early November and conclude them before Thanksgiving.

Miers' professional qualifications are excellent, but she lacks experience in constitutional law, Specter said.

"The hearings will be focused on how she approaches constitutional issues, her capacity to handle them," he said. "Nobody's going to go easy on her. I'm going to ask her a lot of tough questions."

Asked if Bush had chosen the best candidate, Specter said, "He has picked a candidate and our job is to determine not whether she's the best qualified, but whether she's qualified."

The president nominated Miers, his White House counsel, to succeed retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

"I think her record shows very substantial capacity to take on tough assignments and do them well," Specter said.

He reiterated that he is looking into claims made by James Dobson, founder of the conservative group Focus on the Family, that Dobson had private assurances from the White House that Miers is opposed to abortion. He said it is possible that he or the Judiciary Committee's top Democrat, Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, could call Dobson to testify.

Dobson said Tuesday that he discussed Miers with Bush adviser Karl Rove on Oct. 1, two days before her nomination was announced. Dobson said Rove told him "that she is from a very conservative church, which is almost universally pro-life"—information that has since been widely reported.

"We did not discuss Roe v. Wade in any context or any other pending issue that will be considered by the court," Dobson said. He was speaking during a taping of his daily radio program, which is being broadcast Wednesday.

Specter, a five-term senator, narrowly beat back a primary challenge last year from the GOP's conservative wing.

He almost lost his chance to chair the committee when he angered conservatives by saying that judges against abortion would have trouble winning Senate confirmation because of Democratic opposition. He saved his job only by pledging to give Bush's nominees quick hearings and early votes, regardless of their views on abortion.

Specter said Democrats have been quiet on Miers' nomination and are likely to allow her a lot of latitude, given that so many other potential nominees would have caused "quite a furor."

"They don't know what to say," he said. "I don't know how anxious they are to agree with critics on the far right. It's a topsy-turvy world. That's what makes it so interesting."

___

Associated Press Writer Peter Jackson contributed to this story.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.