Apparently even the dinosaurs in the increasingly-irrelevant Republican Party do not find political suicide palatable. Republican senators see little chance of successfully blocking Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination and will not push for a filibuster, according to new reports.
Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, tells Politico: "The nominee has serious problems. But I would think that we would all have a good hearing, take our time and do it right. And then the senators cast their vote up or down based on whether or not they think this is the kind of judge that should be on the court. ... I don't sense a filibuster in the works."
Sessions remarks come at the same time Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said Republicans need to be "very cautious and careful" about criticizing Sottomayor as it could damage their "standing with Hispanics, reports Think Progress.
Meanwhile: Senators and advocacy groups are still girding for this summer's battle, "partly with an eye toward raising money and perhaps preparing for Barack Obama's next nominee," reports the AP.
I guess I need to read more about Sotomayor. The right is hand-wringy about her without giving me much of WHY except for some youtube clip that didnt offer much except something taken completely out of context. If it's because she is not a centrist or right-leaning....well then I guess I can understand.
Posted by: ff | 28 May 2009 at 13:22
..."Meanwhile: Senators and advocacy groups are still girding for this summer's battle, "partly with an eye toward raising money"...
That's what this is all about. Raising money and membership for the Republicans and right wing groups. They know they will not win.
Thank god!
Posted by: Tandio | 28 May 2009 at 13:46
The more the Repugs argue against her, the more I see them trying to paint her as a stereotypical hot-tempered, unpredictable, emotional Latina. This is definitely going to work against them and will lose the Latino votes for years to come. Out of curiosity, are there newspaper archives available online of when Thurgood Marshall was nominated to the SCOTUS? I wonder what was the opposition toward him then. I'm sure it's the same arguments they're going to use against Sotomayor.
Posted by: apres_moi | 29 May 2009 at 02:30