Arlen Specter is concerned

After the constant parade of embarrassment that waltzed through the Justice Department over the past few years, with the ignoring of laws, political based prosecutions, acting as a political arm of the White House, enabling law breaking, refusing to serve subpoenas or really do much of anything that Congress wanted, and just in general being in the complete pocket of the White House, Arlen Specter has had enough. It's not because Democrats are in office or there was a cyborg replicant that kidnapped him, replaced him, and shirked his duties over the past eight years, it's because....actually it's probably one of those two reasons.

A leading Republican senator issued a broad attack on Tuesday on President-elect Barack Obama’s pick as attorney general, Eric H. Holder Jr., questioning his political independence.

The senator, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who is the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said Mr. Holder’s support of the White House’s stance on three contentious issues when he was deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration suggested that he was too willing to do the president’s bidding.

“He’s had an outstanding academic and professional record, and I acknowledge that early on,” Mr. Specter said of Mr. Holder in a 25-minute speech on the Senate floor. “But aside from these qualifications on Mr. Holder’s résumé, there is also the issue of character, and sometimes it is more important for the attorney general to have the stature and the courage to say no instead of to say yes.”

It's funny that none of these concerns were raised when you greased the skids for Ashcroft, Gonzales, or Mukasey, during all the Judicial Committee hearings you presided over either as chairman of ranking minority member, or in general. Of course you're mad about them now, but when you had the chance you were constantly backing down and groveling. That is the Arlen Specter way, complain about something then turtle and vote for it when it's time to do something.

But like many Republicans (and some Democrats) you've found your spine and dusted off your principles just in time. You can move your main focus over the years from Bill Belichik's taping methodologies onto the country and the Rule of Law. Congratulations, I'm sure the timing is coincidental. Just one question: is Chris Matthews sure he doesn't want to run in 2010?