[media-credit name=’H. Rumph, Jr./Associated Press’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Pro-life groups in Wisconsin are criticizing Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., following the Senator’s comments last week concerning judicial nominations.

Peggy Hamill, director of Pro-Life Wisconsin, said Specter would work to ensure only pro-abortion judges supporting Roe v. Wade are confirmed by the Senate. Specter is expected to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee when Congress convenes next year.

“He would probably be the worst choice of all Republicans,” Hamill said. “He has a strong and well-established pro-abortion record, and he’s likely to side with Democrats on the issue.”

Specter created a flood of controversy last week after cautioning President Bush against appointing judges who would overturn abortion rights. The pro-choice Specter indicated such appointees would face difficult confirmation battles in the Senate and stressed Bush should be “mindful of the considerations” Specter mentioned.

Bush is expected to make several nominations to the Supreme Court during his second term. Chief Justice William Rehnquist is currently undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of thyroid cancer, and several other judges are older than 70.

For Specter to warn Bush about potential nominations is a slap in the face to the president and his supporters, Hamill said.

Bush supported the Pennsylvania Senator during a highly contested GOP primary earlier this year.

“Specter was re-elected because of the advocacy of Bush and other conservative legislators, and for [Specter] to turn around and betray their trust is arrogant,” she said.

Susan Armacost, legislative director of Wisconsin Right to Life’s PAC, believes Specter’s comments insulted the millions of voters who supported Bush for his stance on moral issues. Exit polls showed Bush enjoyed strong support from voters listing such issues as a primary concern in the election.

“He’s (Specter) trying to promote his own personal philosophy,” Armacost said. “He thought he could get away with it, but he didn’t anticipate the outcry.”

Specter has since said his comments were taken out of context and stressed he does not question the president’s authority to appoint federal judges. He promised swift action in the Judiciary Committee on all of Bush’s judicial nominations.

“I have never and would never apply any litmus test on the abortion issue and, as the record shows, I have voted to confirm Chief Justice Rehnquist, Justice O’Connor and Justice Kennedy and led the fight to confirm Justice Thomas,” Specter said in a statement.

Neither Wisconsin Right to Life nor Pro-Life Wisconsin are buying Specter’s explanation, however. Both groups say they will continue with efforts to deny Specter the top spot on the Judiciary Committee.

“We think he gave his true feelings when he said Roe v. Wade is inviolate,” Armacost said. “Now I think he’s trying to backtrack because of all the embarrassment he’s caused for the Bush administration.”

Armacost said committee members Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, or Jon Kyl, R-Arizona, among others, would be better choices than Specter to serve as chairman.

Kelda Helen Roys, spokesperson for NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, forecasts a dangerous rift developing in the Republican Party as moderates like Specter are trumped by right-wing ideologues.

“This is a harbinger of fights ahead for Republican Party if they are to have a coherent future,” Roys said, adding that her group’s polling shows a majority of Republicans support abortion rights. “It’s short-sided and problematic for Republicans if they are intent on destroying all the moderates. I think we’ll see a huge exodus from the party.”