Last month we reported extensively on the purge of US Attorneys across the country and the fact that at the administration's request Sen. Specter (R-PA) had inserted a provision into the USA Patriot Act that allowed the administration to appoint new US Attorneys without senate approval.

This morning at a senate hearing on the US Attorney purge, Sen. Specter responded to the TPMmuckraker report, calling it "offensive." But 'offensive' in the sense of also being true apparently. See the details and his explanation.

Late Update: Apparently Sen. Feinstein (D-CA) isn't buying it. She repeated the 'slipped in' language when it was her turn to speak.