Things really got ugly--really ugly--between Sens. Kennedy and Specter. Kennedy (D-Mass) asked further hostile questions on CAP--the Princeton University concerned alumni organization that, among other things, opposed co-education at the university. Kennedy said he did not think Alito's responses to the committee on CAP "add up." Kennedy proposed issuing a subpoena to the owner of the organization's records and go into executive session to do so. Specter reacted angrily, asking why Kennedy had not brought this up in public as opposed to consulting with Specter on it in advance. Kennedy claims he sent Specter a letter. Specter, angrily, said he never got one."If you're going to rule it [a subpoena] out of order, I want to have a vote on that," Kennedy said.Kennedy says he's moving for an executive session and "we're gonna have votes of this commlittee again and again and again" until Specter goes along. Specter: "I'm not going to have you run this committee," Specter said. "I will consider it in due course."
"I take umbrage at you telling me what I received," Specter said, with growing anger.
Kennedy: "I would appeal the ruling of the chair."
Specter: "There's been no ruling of the chair."
Earlier, Kennedy had read some racist-sounding article from a CAP-related magazine--Prospect--in an apparent effort to associate Alito with it. Alito said "had I thought that that's what this organization stood for, I would never have been associated with it in any way." Kennedy then read from an apparently anti-gay article from the same magazine in an apparent effort to associate Alito with it. "I would not have anything to do with statements of that nature," said Alito.
Alito said he was unaware of these articles. "Many of the things that you've mentioned are things I have always stood against," Alito said. "If I had received any information at any point" like that, "I would never had anything to do with it." Just before the recess, Kennedy asked that the now-infamous letter be included in the record.