Specter in the Dog House over Craig Flap

While Senate Republicans have been annoyed by Larry Craig’s fickleness on resignation, they are really ticked off at Arlen Specter:

Craig appeared ready to resign because he pleaded guilty to improper conduct in a Minnesota airport restroom, but he modified his position after he heard Specter on the Fox News Network say the Idaho senator should not quit. The misdirected voicemail disclosing Craig’s tactics cited Specter’s comments as reason for contemplating a fight.

Specter, a moderate from Pennsylvania, was grateful to Craig as a rare conservative senator who backed him vigorously when an effort was made after the 2004 elections to prevent Specter from becoming Judiciary Committee chairman. After privately being told by Republicans to stop boosting Craig, Specter Thursday contended he had said all he would say about the controversy.

Thank goodness for that, but again the GOP suffers a blow thanks to Snarlin’ Arlen. One of Bush’s greatest mistakes was to save this man from almost certain defeat in 2004 re-election campaign, and the Senate Republicans showed their clubbyness by letting this guy serve as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the last Congress.