] Emboldened by their role in re-electing President Bush,
] conservatives are making Mr. Specter - whose brusque
] independence has earned him the nickname Snarlin' Arlen
] on Capitol Hill - a test case of their political power.
] As they try to keep Mr. Specter, a centrist Pennsylvania
] Republican who supports abortion rights, from heading the
] Senate Judiciary Committee, they are demanding a steep
] concession: support for changing a century-old Senate
] rule that permits judicial nominations to be blocked by
] filibuster.

Republicans continue to unravel the checks and balances.

The New York Times - Bork Hearings Resurface as Impediment to Specter