Specter denies making deal with Santorum to support judges

Former Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) Thursday on CNN denied promising his former Senate colleague Rick Santorum that he would support the president's Supreme Court nominees.

At the Republican debate on Wednesday night, Santorum said he endorsed Specter -- a pro-choice Republican who voted for health care reform -- in 2004 because Specter agreed to back President Bush’s Supreme Court nominees. At the time, Specter was challenged by the more conservative Pat Toomey.

“Arlen Specter as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, we had a conversation,” Santorum said. “He asked me to support him. I said will you support the president’s nominees? We had a 51-49 majority in the Senate. He said I’ll support the president’s nominees as chairman.”

But on Thursday, Specter denied ever having that conversation.

"No," he said. "I made no promise about supporting anybody. I wouldn't do it. It would be wrong to make a promise in advance of knowing who the nominee was and what the qualifications were."

"There was never any discussion at all between Senator Santorum and me about support. It was just assumed that he would support me like I had supported him when he had a very tough election back in 1994."

Watch video, courtesy of CNN, below: