“He's next in line seniority-wise. He's earned the right to be here. The fact that he might not be in total agreement with me or anyone else on the committee is not important,” said Hatch of the brewing fracas within the Republican Party.
“I have full confidence he'll be supportive of the president and the administration. I expect him to be a great chairman and I'm going to help him,” Hatch said.
Specter made his pitch Tuesday to Republican leadership and later in the day to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, seeking to solidify his claim to the chair.
Outside the Capitol, about 20 abortion opponents held a "pray-in" protesting the prospect of Specter's becoming the panel's chairman in January.
"I'm not making any predictions," Specter told The Associated Press following his meeting with the Republican leadership. "As I've said many times, I never count any chickens before they're hatched, and [I'm] leaving no stone unturned. I've learned a long time ago in these hallowed halls not to be surprised by anything. Anything."
Many Republicans were uneasy with Specter before his re-election and backed his opponent in the GOP primary. Specter fed the fears in post-election remarks, in which he said President Bush should pick moderates for the bench and would have difficulty winning confirmation for nominees who want to overturn abortion rights.
Evangelical groups, emboldened by their influence in the re-election of President Bush, reacted quickly.
"It is a betrayal and a slap in the face to millions of pro-life Americans who helped re-elect this president," Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, told the AP. "Don't turn to us in four years when you want to run for president . . . and expect us to contribute millions of dollars."
Sen. Bob Bennett, who attended Tuesday's meeting with GOP leaders, said he was surprised to hear Specter's post-election comments “which were at odds with his record of strong support for President Bush's judicial nominees,” but he believes Specter has clarified those remarks since.
“I take Sen. Specter at his word, as does the president. He has my full support,” Bennett said.
Senate term limits preclude Hatch from keeping the chairmanship, and Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the next in line, has opted to remain chairman of the Finance Committee. Specter is next in line followed by the more staunchly conservative Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona.
"He's going to be the chairman, I believe," Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., told The Associated Press. "I think his words after the election were not well-chosen, and caused a furor, but I think that he's made it clear what his record has been, what the facts are and what he wants to do."
Hatch has had his own run-ins with the party's conservative wing over his support of the Patriot Act, which expanded federal investigative powers, and for failing to take a smash-mouth approach to forcing through the president's judicial nominees. But he said the concerns some have with Specter are unfounded.
“Now does that mean Arlen is going to be everything the far right wants him to be. Well, no. I'm not everything they want me to be, either,” Hatch said.
