Sound advice from Specter

With extremists in the Republican Party advising President Bush that his impressive victory in Tuesday's election gives him the right to nominate ideologues to the Supreme Court who would seek to overturn abortion rights, Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania has some sounder advice for the president: Don't.
Specter, a moderate who overcame a primary election challenge from conservatives and then won the general election by an 11-point margin, is in line to become chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2005. In that position, he would schedule hearings, call for votes and establish the process by which judicial nominations would be considered.
Thoughtful
The 74-year-old, four-term senator has earned a reputation as a thoughtful, fair legislator who will not let ideology color his view of what's best for the nation. Specter understands that most Americans are in the middle of the political spectrum, and that although Bush defeated Democratic challenger John Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, by an impressive margin, he needs to take actions that will unify, rather than divide the nation.
The president, who endorsed Specter in the Republican primary, should heed the senator's advice and appoint individuals to the federal bench who would interpret the Constitution only.