I can't say for sure how layered was President Obama's thinking in nominating Sonia Sotomayor, but I have an idea. The fact is, by any reasonable standards, she's highly qualified, with more judicial experience -- by far!! -- than any currently on the court had when they were elevated thereto. And whatever she might have said to various audei in various venui at various timei in her life, her opinions have been, as far as I can tell, very moderate. (Ironically, the case which has so tightly wedged the panties of the panters, the Ricci case of the firefighters, was one in which it seems she followed the law over her emotional inclination.) So moderate that some on the left are worried. I'd say it's typical of Obama to have chosen someone who is NOT some sort of radical.
Clearly, from a judicial point of view the choice is, at the most, a middle of the road liberal one. But here's the thing: Obama is, contrary to the "naive" meme that circulated during the campaign, a damn clever politician. And I think it's possible that in naming Judge Sotomayor he set a little trap for the Republicans and, most particularly, their RWS™. If they took the bait, well, it's not his fault.
And so they have. She's a racist, she's David Duke, she's an unintelligent product of affirmative action, a member of a group that's like the KKK, the most radical of leftist activist judges (record quite to the contrary.) Let's hope, one of them said, that no important cases come up when she's menstruating. Yep, he actually said that.
It's a twofer: Obama gets credit for appointing a mainstream judge, a highly experienced one, who will be confirmed; and he gets a huge boost in the Hispanic community. But not just because of the appointment: because of the outrageous and unhinged (and predictable) response from the far right crazies. Gee, he must be thinking. Who'da thought they'd be so nasty, shooting themselves in the foot?
Not me. Not me. Not no-drama me.
Can you say "buh-bye Texas?" And, for that matter, can you say "see you later, thoughtful, independent, moderate people?" If there were a veneer of legitimacy, however thin, on the Republican party, the response of their insane faction to the nomination has peeled it away like sunburn on Johnny Winters.
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It's standard operating procedure from both sides to attack the character of a nominee selected by the opposite party. Obama supported a filibuster against Alito. Democrats attack any court appointments Republicans make. It's all a part of this ridiculous political theatre B.S. that is our political system.
ReplyDeleteYou're way too smart to let yourself get caught up in this repub vs dem nonsense. Everyday, it's some new drama. People can't wait to read the news to hear the new drama of the day. It's like MTV's "The Hills" for adults. At the end of the day, the dems and repubs go and have a cocktail together and laugh at us.
We are the wealthiest country in the world (for a few more months, maybe), yet we can't find a way to provide healthcare for all americans. The insurance companies are a greedy disaster, a govt plan will be the epitome of waste and rationing, and americans dont have the accountability to be trusted to do their part and pay for anything socialized.