Specter to vote with Democrats on Gonzales

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Monday said he would vote with Democrats to express that he has no confidence in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, despite harboring deep misgivings about the nature of the resolution.

{mosads}Specter said on the Senate floor that he has lost confidence in Gonzales, adding, “There is no doubt that the [Department of Justice (DoJ)] at the present time is in shambles.”

However, despite his feelings about Gonzales, Specter is not pleased with the Democratic no-confidence vote.

He believes it is politically motivated and that its principal purpose is to embarrass the GOP, not help DoJ.

In addition, Specter lamented, “The Senate has a lot more important things to do than to engage on this issue.” Specter pointed to the Senate’s failure last week to pass a comprehensive immigration bill, an effort in which the Pennsylvania Republican was deeply involved.