Specter warns fellow Republicans on "nuclear option"

Arlen Specter appreciates the Constitution:

U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter warned on Thursday that an impending showdown over President Bush's judicial nominees could lead to turmoil in the Republican-led Senate.

Specter said if fellow Republicans invoke the "nuclear option" by changing the Senate's rules to ban procedural hurdles against the nominees, Democrats could as promised retaliate with other moves of their own to "screw things up."

"If we have a 'nuclear option,' the Senate will be in turmoil and the Judiciary Committee will be hell," Specter said. "We can take an extended foreign trip, all of us."

But this is over the top:

Yet some Republicans privately voiced concerns, with one Senate aide saying Specter "provided the enemy aid and comfort."

This kind of thing should be fined and/or punished instantly. It does nothing to improve the discourse level and encourages animosity that is unnecessary. Neither side is the "enemy" when it comes to the Senate.