This article in The Hill makes a few things clear. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) will replace Arlen Specter (RD-PA) as the ranking member (most senior Republican) on the Judiciary Committee. But it’s only temporary. Here’s the deal.

Chuck Grassley, who many thought was considering retirement, has allowed Sessions to take over on Judiciary for the remainder of this Congress. Grassley will remain in his slot as the chairman of the Finance Committee. But, come 2011, Grassley will cash in his claim for the top spot on Judiciary and Sessions will move over to take the top slot on the Budget Committee that will then be vacated by the retiring Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH).

The most important news is that Grassley is not retiring. It’s also significant that Grassley will remain in charge on Finance because they are responsible for marking up President Obama’s health care plan this year. But it also very important that Sen. Jeff Sessions will be the face of the GOP’s opposition to Obama’s judicial nominees, including those for the Supreme Court.

Jeff Sessions was once rejected as a federal district judge by the Senate Judiciary Committee because they felt he was racially insensitive. In other words, Sessions was too much of a racist to serve on a federal bench. Now he will sit in judgment of all federal nominees for the bench. His thick Alabama accent will only add to the charm and nostalgia of the spectacle, and that doesn’t even touch on Sessions’ incredibly mediocre mind and the idiotic types of questions he will be asking. This is a nightmare for the Republican Party.

Next year, he’ll move to the Budget Committee where his lack of brainpower (in comparison to Judd Gregg) will be even more pronounced, if less public. The big GOP comeback continues!!