The Republican Party Attack Machine In Full Throttle

President Obama hadn't even made his official announcement before Michael Steele accidentally released the right-wing talking points to the media. The right-wing talking points are that she's too dumb, too lazy, too radical, etc. Fortunately, someone told them that the Bronx is part of America so they had to pull back on the point that Obama nominated a god damn foreigner. Instead they're calling her an "identity politics" nominee. A third-rate neo-fascist at Cato, Ilya Shapiro: "In picking Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama has confirmed that identity politics matter to him more than merit. Judge Sotomayor is not one of the leading lights of the federal judiciary and would not even have been on the shortlist if she were not Hispanic. She has a mixed reputation, with a questionable temperament and no particularly important opinions in over 10 years on the Second Circuit."

Of course if Shapiro is third-rate, who knows what to make of Glenn Beck! He's tweeting:


At least some of the Republicans are being honest about what this battle is all about. Lunatic fringe conservative, Richard Viguerie: “It’s an immense opportunity to build the conservative movement and identify the troops out there. It’s a massive teaching moment for America. We’ve got the packages written. We’re waiting right now to put a name in.”

The anti-choice fanatics are also attacking:

"For all the President's talk of finding 'common ground,' this appointment completely contradicts that hollow promise. Judge Sonia Sotomayor's judicial philosophy undermines common ground. She is a radical pick that divides America. She believes the role of the Court is to set policy, which is exactly the philosophy that led to the Supreme Court turning into the 'National Abortion Control Board,' denying the American people the right to be heard on this critical issue. This appointment would provide a pedestal for an avowed judicial activist to impose her personal policy and beliefs onto others from the bench, at a time when the Courts are at a crossroad and critical abortion regulations-- supported by the vast majority of Americans-- like partial-birth abortion and informed consent laws lie in the balance."

Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is in Iraq right now but he had a very different outlook, of course. Unlike the Republicans who have run to media to say that the sky is falling, Leahy pointed out that "Judge Sotomayor has a long and distinguished career on the federal bench," has an exemplary record and "has been nominated by both Democratic and Republican presidents, and she was twice confirmed by the Senate with strong, bipartisan support.

The Supreme Court is the final arbiter in the federal judiciary, with a fundamental role in our system of government and a fundamental impact on Americans’ everyday lives.  One need look no further than the Lilly Ledbetter and Diana Levine cases to understand how just one vote can determine the Court’s decision and impact the lives and freedoms of countless Americans.  I believe that Judge Sotomayor will be in the mold of Justice Souter, who understands the real-world impact of the Court’s decisions, rather than the mold of the conservative activists who second-guess Congress, and who through judicial extremism undercut laws meant to protect Americans from discrimination in their jobs, their access to health care and education, and their privacy from an overreaching government.   I believe Judge Sotomayor understands that the courthouse doors must be as open to ordinary Americans as they are to government and big corporations.

As he promised, President Obama has handled this selection process with the care that the American people expect and deserve.  The Senate in good faith should match the President’s confidence-building steps in the way we now proceed with this nomination.  Some groups in the Republican base have said they are ‘spoiling for a fight,’ no matter who was nominated.  Republican Senators up to now have generally shown more responsibility than that, and the American people will want the Senate to carry out its constitutional duty with conscientiousness and civility.

Among the most serious constitutional duties entrusted to Congress is the confirmation of Supreme Court Justices.  President Obama has announced his choice, and the Senate will now prepare for fair and thorough confirmation proceedings.  There are more than 300 million Americans; only 100 Senators will vote on this nomination.  We have a solemn duty to the Constitution and to the American people.  This will not be decided by the interest groups on the left or the right.  I trust that no Senator will seek to apply a different standard to this nominee than was applied just four years ago when the Senate considered President Bush’s nominations to the Supreme Court.

I will work closely with Senator Sessions as the Judiciary Committee prepares for confirmation hearings.  We are committed to ensuring that the next Justice is seated before the Court’s term begins in October.  I hope all Senators will treat this nominee fairly and will respect the Committee’s confirmation process. 

Now more than ever, while the country is in the throes of an economic recession, and fighting to strengthen our economic and national security, the American people deserve leadership and civility from those they send to Washington.  This is an opportunity for this Senate to further the spirit of bipartisanship that Americans want by guiding the nation in installing impartial, fair-minded Justices to the Supreme Court who will apply our laws and not their ideology.  The interests of all Americans are at stake.

Democrats, like most Americans, are proud of this nomination. Let's hope that even conservative and corporatist Democrats like Blanche Lincoln and Evan Bayh decide they will be well-served going back to their constituents and proudly campaigning for re-election by pointing out their vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor. Although he's no Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, one of the Senate's least intellectually gifted Democrats, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, played into self-serving GOP talking points with his tepid statement of quasi-support. "Judge Sotomayor has impeccable credentials and an extraordinary American story. It is also critically important that she possess the proper judicial temperament and the ability to be fair and impartial. I believe this criterion is essential; activist judges have no place on the highest court of the land." In the past he voted for two of the most radical activist judges in contemporary history, Sam Alito and John Roberts. I guess he only gets excited about far right activists. Better than Tom Coburn who has, this morning, already stated that he won't vote for her. And the former ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Arlen Specter, currently a "Democrat," sounded open to the nomination, not unlike he probably would have if he was still a Republican: "Her confirmation would add needed diversity in two ways: the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the high court. While her record suggests excellent educational and professional qualifications, now it is up to the Senate to discharge its constitutional duty for a full and fair confirmation process."

As usual the out-of-step Republicans find themselves in a touchy dilemma of their own making. As Sam Youngman at The Hill put it today, "If they are tough in opposing President Obama’s first pick for the court, Federal Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor, they risk alienating the growing Hispanic constituency that is already trending Democratic. But if they go too easy on her, the conservative base will rebel. Either way, the decision on a successor to retiring Justice David Souter has far-reaching political ramifications for a reeling GOP."

It's an outrage that torture enabler John Yoo isn't in prison. And he's still an integral part of the GOP attack machine. Today he was spouting Republican Party talking points-- most of the senators are too scared to repeat them in public so they have their sad array of surrogates like Yoo mouthing them to see if anything sticks-- about how despite her "sterling credentials," she doesn't make the cut and that Obama just picked her because of empathy. These guys are just a really bad joke-- though few of them are as deranged as the Powerline headline claiming that Judge Sotomayor is just Che Guevera in robes. Limbaugh says he hopes she fails and reasserts that he hopes Obama fails as well. But Limbaugh isn't the only voice of the GOP going publicly insane this morning. Take right-wing crackpot Glenn Beck, who certainly sounds like he's fallen off the wagon again:



UPDATE: And Two Of Congress' Most Vicious Bigots Play The Race Card

Predictable? Of course. But this fast!!! There are no members of the Senate as clueless and racist as Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and few members in the House that fit that description better than Lamar Smith, the lunatic fringe maniac from the suburbs and pastureland northwest of San Antonio. They both attacked Judge Sotomayor for her race and gender today. And, no, there aren't very many Hispanics in Smith's carefully gerrymandered district.

Smith (R-TX) said today that he is concerned Sotomayor has shown “personal bias based on ethnicity and gender.” Similarly, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) said in a statement today that Sotomayor may be subject to the “undue influence” of her race and gender.

I wonder if anyone ever thought to wonder if John Roberts, Sam Alito or Antonin Scalia might be subject to undue influence because of their race and gender. In 2008 the voters of Oklahoma, who supported Obama less than any other state (and still do) re-elected Inhofe with 57%. And why not? He's exactly what they are. And in Texas' very backward 21st district no one bothered to run against Smith.

Of course, as always, Tom Tancredo is in a class all of his own when it comes to racism, bigotry and sheer stupidity. What a disgrace to the United States of America!