Arlen Specter: “No; I wish to finish. I think we ought to at least be equal. What we have is that we are close to anarchy. We have been…”

“No; I wish to finish. I think we ought to at least be equal. What we have is that we are close to anarchy. We have been debating the debate all week. The House has rules which we wouldn't want, where the Rules Committee goes off and comes back and limits what the House of Representatives can do. Sometimes that is despotism, and between anarchy and despotism, it is a fairly tough choice. But right now, I am finding it difficult--impossible--to answer my constituents about what the Senate is doing. I tell them the tree is filled. They think I am talking about an orchard. I tell them we are debating whether we are going to have a debate, and they can't understand what we are doing. I counted the Senators on the floor during the exchange between the majority leader and the Republican leader. We had more than 50 Senators here sitting around on the debate for a debate without reaching a resolution. I think Senator McConnell is correct. I do not say that in the partisan sense, if I can attract the attention of the distinguished Republican leader. I think he is correct. But I repeat I do not say it in a partisan sense. There ought to be an accommodation and there ought to be an agreement reached between the leaders. When you have the proposal to have a variety of resolutions, that is the way of the Senate. Senator McCain has been here for 20 years. Senator McConnell has been here for 22 years. I have been here for 26 years.…”