Sotomayor nomination splits GOP [GOP "strategists" say opposition to Sotomayor racist]

The Los Angeles Times ^ | 2009-05-27

[rabscuttle385]

Conservative activists are outspoken in their opposition. But Republican senators who will actually vote on her nomination offer muted responses. Some think the party has a chance to reach Latino vote.

BY PETER WALLSTEN and RICHARD SIMON

Reporting from Washington -- Rush Limbaugh called her a "reverse racist." The conservative Judicial Confirmation Network said she was an activist with a "personal political agenda" and should be blocked from the Supreme Court.

. . . . .

The Republican senators who will actually vote on her were not following the activists' script.

Instead, GOP senators offered muted, sometimes admiring, responses, and seemed to be taking their cues from a quieter group of voices within the party cautioning that to oppose the country's first Latina Supreme Court nominee would amount to political suicide.

Moreover, some party strategists are telling GOP senators that to attack Sotomayor is to waste an opportunity for Republicans to appear welcoming and repair damage from recent policy debates in which conservative support for restricting immigration turned off many Latino voters.

"A lot of Republicans are worried that [fighting the Sotomayor nomination] could be the last straw when it comes to the party's ability to reach the Hispanic community," said Robert de Posada, a Latino GOP strategist who said he was advising Republican staffers on the Senate Judiciary Committee. "Republicans are in a very awkward position."

Lionel Sosa, a Texas-based Republican ad maker who designed Latino outreach for Presidents Reagan and George W. Bush, said that opposing Sotomayor "would be one more nail in the Republicans' image coffin in terms of Latino voters."

. . . . .

"As a Republican, I would take it that these people are anti-Latino. The worst thing the Republicans can do is oppose her."

[rabscuttle385]

Advisors to Bush? And Reagan? What the h*ll?!

[rabscuttle385]

Seriously, wtf is wrong with the GOP?!

[sionnsar]

The GOP has "strategists"? Who knew?

Does it have a "spine" yet?

[Oldexpat]

The Rats weren’t reluctant about trashing Roberto Gonzales..what was he Irish?

[shadeaud]

With the exception of a minority few, the GOP stand for Gang of Pussies.

[Smokin' Joe]

Seriously, wtf is wrong with the GOP?!

THey threw the wrong poeople under the bus, again.

Maybe the party symbol should be changed to the rhinocerous.

[cripplecreek]

"would be one more nail in the Republicans' image coffin in terms of Latino voters."

Fine. I've got a spare hammer if they need it.

[TribalPrincess2U]

I’m lost! Is there a space ship shooting beams at us?
Are they laughingly playing games with our minds?

[RinaseaofDs]

This one is easy: Sotomayor is a racist.

[SharpRightTurn]

It’s been abundantly clear for some time that anyone with the tag “Republican strategist” attached to his name is the lowest form of pond life out there.

[DoughtyOne]

I’ll tell you what the problem is, we have far too many Democrats claiming they are Republicans.

Try to gauge the level of insult it would be to a person of any race, that they were not capable of understanding the complex issues that go hand in hand with judging an appointment to the SCOTUS.

These people are saying, the Hispanic is just too stupid to be able to grasp that one of their own might not have sound judgment.

I absolutely refuse to believe that. I have family members of Mexican ancestry and they would most certainly be able to grasp the issues at play here.

DAMN those who think they couldn’t. They are the actual ignorant racists.

[Boiling Pots]

But how many white people would it turn off to support her?

Who is more important to the GOP?

[americanophile]

The woman is textbook judicial activist, and an apparent racist as well. In an attempt not to irritate Hispanics (the ones that just overwhelmingly voted for Obama over their best friend, John McCain) some Republicans will probably shy away from criticizing the ‘wise Latina.’ In doing so they will compromise their values for political expedience, which will lose them their base; proving once more that they are useless to everyone. Either stand on principle, or move aside and let someone else.

[Maelstorm]

The same thing that has been wrong. The left squeals and rages and its just politics as usual. Let a Republican say something negative about a leftist and it is racist. Republicans should vote against her. The Democrats can carry her themselves. I don’t think she is a Ruth Bader Ginsberg and she may turn out to be not as reliable a vote for the left as they believe. I don’t like her judicial philosophy. The GOP are stupid to go on about how any opposition might be viewed as racist. All they do is acerbate the problem and encourage the left.

[bushfamfan]

It’s deservedly so DEAD. Time for conservatives to leave the GOP. No sense staying with a dead weight that won’t even fight for the United States and led us to the point of no return and still won’t stand up to the forces of evil. To hell with all of them.

[spodefly]

Things are working out so well for Republicans these days that they don’t want to rock the boat by offering substantive critique to any hyphen-American ...

[Doogle]

..just the LA TIMES doing their best to “instruct” the GOP on how to handle what they deem a critical vote. We've all heard the rats have all the votes they need.....do they?
I suspect they are worried there may be some blue dogs hanging around and this early attempt at insisting “this is the only way” proves my point.

[calex59]

Hey, folks, this is the LA times, it is as racist as it gets and they are trying to drive a wedge into the GOP and they are trying to shape opinion of our senators. The rank and file Republicans don't care what race or ethnicity she is, she's a left wing whacko and needs to be opposed. This paper names few names of people who actually think we should embrace this idiot for the SCOTUS.

Drive the latino vote from the GOP party? When the hell did we ever have it? Latinos didn't cost us the election RINO chicken sh** republicans did. Personally if they don't fight this appointment, even if they can't stop it, I am through with these turkeys forever, count me as an Independent.

[exist]

SPOILER ALERT: GOP will ask tough questions, send us letters asking for money, then they will cave, and then in 2010 they will say we have no choice but to vote for them.

[PubliusMM]

Guts! The Pubbies have got to find their guts!

Forget Latino, Latina, whatever. Go for the body of work...
Sotomayor’s body of work will stand or fall on its own (lack of) merit. She is an activist judge who VERY CLEARLY said that the Appeals bench makes policy. She is VERY CLEARLY a racist, based on comments in 2001 in a speech at Berkley.

IF the Pubbies can’t work up the stones to successfully fight this completely unfit nominee, then the party is truly lost.

It’s time to take back the country.

[Luke21]

Oh man. That’s good.

[Sudetenland]

Time for Republicans to stop letting others make their decisions for them. Hispanics don’t like our opposition to a radical Leftist Judge, screw them. Grow a spine Republicans.

[Revolting cat!]

[Pilated]

They better unwind their panties and really really look at this choice before getting off the fence.

[Revolting cat!]

White guilt on steroids!

[cripplecreek]

The GOP is like an abusive husband.

[Pilated]

They better unwind their panties and really really look at this choice before getting off the fence.

[KJC1]

"As a Republican, I would take it that these people are anti-Latino. The worst thing the Republicans can do is oppose her."

Right. Just like being anti-Obama means you hate black people.

This is political extortion.

[dixiedarlindownsouth]

ROFL

[reefdiver]

Last straw issues will be the back bone of this Republican group.

They die on the vine without money. So , if they won’t do what we want. Let them wither an go to seed.

Our’s or theirs, without support they’er out, They all want to be in.

The GOP is reading this - let them know

[ronnie raygun]

This is thier test to separate the men from the boys, if the vote this racist in, the Republican party is finished. Folding like a cheap camera is getting to be thier motto!

[TADSLOS]

Buenos Dias, mi Amigos!

[KJC1]

I’ll tell you what the problem is, we have far too many Democrats claiming they are Republicans.

Exactly.

Exhibit A: Colin Powell

Exhibit B: Arlen Specter

etc

[goodnesswins]

Exactly! Someone has the headline wrong....Sotomayor is a racist.

[Bigun]

This Republican strategist says that standing up for the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law will attract FAR more votes than not doing so ever could!

[surely_you_jest]

Seriously, wtf is wrong with the GOP?!

It is the rotting corpse of what was once a great party.

Now, it is merely a distraction from the important work of forming some new entity that is sufficiently viable that it is worth supporting going forward. Until then, I have no party.

[freekitty]

I would think it would be political suicide not to oppose her. They will probably get a heck of a lot more votes if they do oppose her.

[Doogle]

Robert de Posada, a Latino GOP strategist "Republicans are in a very awkward position."

then YOUR strategy isn't ****ing working is it?

[DoughtyOne]

Thank you.

[what's up]

Dems have chosen the most awful nominee they could find to get a good fight going.

Their base is mad that they are turning "Bush" in all their policies so this nominee is to get conservatives angry and provide red meat for the left.

So predictable.

The more important fight right now is over socialized medicine.

[Cheerio]

Go ahead GOP, destroy yourself, just roll over. Are you really that afraid of the Political Correctness Mafia? America has been destroyed, we are just watching the corps being put into the coffin under Barry, the boy President.

The population voted for CHANGE and by God they are getting it. I read and post on my local paper's forum most every day and the vitriol towards the GOP is beyond amazing. Here is a sample from today ( a letter to the editor) ---

Of course - I'll add my two cents worth. This last election - it's not that the democrats had a better plan - it's that they were different and voted in as such. When you're gasping for fresh air you'll tend to follow where its coming from - regardless of if it leads you to a wall. Obama is not the messiah - but he could appeal to a younger more connected audience - thus the rock star image that helped him get elected. People felt a connection to him, that he understood our realities, not McCain - his wife worth millions, he's from an older generation, etc. Meanwhile - the face of the GOP is mostly older white men that have no clue about today's realities, For example - the majority of us all use computers, google, etc - and here is McCain that has no idea on how to turn one on yet Obama has a blackberry - it's a connection with real world that the majority have seen. I do believe the GOP could gain power back and that would actually be a good thing, especially on fiscal policy. However, the GOP needs to remake it's image and appeal to a younger demographic and rethink it's stance on social issues. For example - we'll use gay people - while you may or may not be in favor of gay marriage - the fact is most of us and especially younger generations - being gay is more main stream. So - when the GOP wants to appeal to that block of voters - they need to realize that their base has friends and acquaintances that are gay - so pandering how its a choice and we should return to 1950's america will not bode well for their cause. The same is true with woman's rights, etc. With all these handouts and incentives - you're not helping us - you're medicating us into submission. It's hunger, drive, and passion that made this country great and if we hope to compete and excel in the 21st centruy - we need to come up with new ideas and have a drive to see these ideas to fruition - not sitting around waiting for our next welfare check. Just my two cents worth.

Here is another one-----

We still do wish death on Bush and Cheney, but not before they have suffered greatly. And I'm proud to be a "left wing nut job" and furthermore I'm estatic that we finally got the majority of the "right wing knobjobs" out of the Whitehouse and Congress. Get over it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!

More - - -

I represent nobody but myself, thanks anyway. Enjoy the next 8 years of Socialsim that is coming. Like I blogged the other day you fine Republicans can make your way to Mexico, reverse immigration. I would pay good money to watch what happens to you when you get there!

Still more - -

"This may come as a shock to many of you but MOST Americans don't hate their country and sure don't want to see freedom, liberty and security taxed away. They don't want another "Ground Zero" with thousands of dead Americans the result and they don't want their kids to live a lesser lifestyle than themselves. I believe these CONSERVATIVE Democrats see, hear and understand that." If you don't want to see another ground zero don't let your religous right elect another Republican moron for President.... problem solved.

I just wish they would hurry up and start CW II.

[RebelTXRose]

what panty-waists they are! If they can’t say that they object to Montamayor because she has no idea what the Constitution is all about (AND that pledge she would take), then they need to remember WHY they call themselves GOP!

I just pray that some democrats can break with the party line and vote against her as FAR too radical!

[taillightchaser]

And so the liberal LA Times takes the next step down the road of destroying our country.
The MSM is the reason why we have this commie president and they are totally to blame.
They refused to tell the sheeple who this guy was before he was elected.

[saganite]

“Some think the party has a chance to reach Latino vote.”

Republicans have less than zero chance of reaching the Latino vote. None. Zip. Zero. Nada. But they have an opportunity to lose whatever conservative vote that still holds out hope they may show some courage. I think they lose all the way around. No Hispanics, fewer conservatives.

[Zhang Fei]

These aren’t GOP strategists - they’re Hispanic racialists who’ve latched on to the GOP label so they can feed off us.

[c-b 1]

Time for conservatives to leave the GOP. No sense staying with a dead weight that won’t even fight for the United States and led us to the point of no return and still won’t stand up to the forces of evil. To hell with all of them.

Just Curious, where are you going? To the Libertarian Party who hasn't won a national election since their founding over 35 years ago? To the Constitution Party who isn't yet on the ballot in all 50 states, 15 years after it's foundation? Best of luck.

I think I'll stay where I'm at. I'm off to my County Republican Central Committee meeting, to stir the moderates up again.

[Miss Didi]

Sen. Hatch was just blasting her to Hannity listing many examples of her statements...he said he won’t vote for her if she proves to be an activist.

[windsorknot]

We are now governed by a one-party political system with little or no meaningful opposition.

[YellowRoseofTx]

The GOP has "strategists"? Who knew?

With these strategists, no wonder we can't make headway

[mort56]

Can anyone imagine a judge nominated by a Republican who states gender and race makes he/she more qualified than those of other races getting a pass? The fix is in. The media in this country has now proven itself to be a sole owned subsidiary of the Democrat Party. god pray for this country as we are circling the drain.