at the very least, you have to give this man props

it's apparent to me HE understands both the constitution AND our government system. it doesn't matter if i agree with him or not on most issues. i have to respect him for standing up to what is MORALLY and LEGALLY right, even though he is in the minority

Specter ready to force showdown
GOP senator emerges as White House rival on legislative issues
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff June 9, 2006
WASHINGTON -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter emerged this week as a nemesis that the Bush White House hasn't had to face: A subpoena-wielding member of Congress who is ready to force a showdown over what he sees as the Bush administration's intrusion into legislative territory.
From President Bush's warrantless eavesdropping program to the ``signing statements" in which he selectively enforces portions of laws, Republicans in control of the House and Senate have been unwilling to challenge the White House.
Democrats have howled in protest but remain powerless to force changes because of their minority status in Congress.
Specter, however, seems willing to take Bush and his administration to task. A strong believer in the Senate's institutional prerogatives, the Pennsylvania Republican has grown increasingly frustrated with a presidency that he believes is encroaching on Congress's power -- and lawmakers' checks on the power of the White House..........