As I hinted at in my previous post, it will be interesting (and important) to see what happens to Specter vis-a-vis the Judiciary Committee. Will he simply move on to the other side of Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and become the committee's senior Democrat? Or will there be more complicated machinations. Did leadership offer him a sweet deal that hasn't yet been revealed? And what does this mean for, among other issues, the nomination of Dawn Johnsen?

We'll try to get answers for all of those questions for you, but for now, here's Leahy's statement on the news of the day.

Senator Specter called me this morning. He and I have been friends for 40 years. We first met when we were both young prosecutors. We have a particular friendship, and he wanted me to know before it became in the press.

In talking with him, I had the impression that he went through much the same that Jim Jeffords of Vermont did. I had the impression that Senator Specter had a feeling that the Republican Party, a great party in this country, had left him - not the other way around.

I know how hard he has agonized. I believe he's going to be happier.