Posted on 07/24/2009 8:13:13 AM PDT by STARWISE
When Sen. Lindsey Graham announced his support for Sonia Sotomayor this week, right-wing radio talk show host Mark Levin said it was a sign that Graham is unreliable ... as a thinker and a leader.
Wendy Long, counsel for the conservative Judicial Confirmation Network, called it proof that Graham still lacks courage, statesmanship and an understanding of the Constitution and rule of law.
May his antics get the attention they richly deserve.
The response from Graham: Enjoy life in the minority.
In an interview with POLITICO Thursday, the South Carolina Republican defended his decision to back Sotomayor by laying out a broad critique of conservative activists who push ideological purity and refuse to cooperate with a Democratic Congress and White House.
If we chase this attitude that you have to say no to every Democratic proposal, you cant help the president ever, you cant ever reach across the aisle, then I dont want to be part of the movement because its a dead-end movement, Graham said.
I have no desire to be up here in an irrelevant status. Im smart enough to know that this country doesnt have a problem with conservatives. It has a problem with blind ideology. And those who are ideological-driven to a fault are never going to be able to take this party back into relevancy.
While a handful of other GOP senators have said theyll back Sotomayor when her nomination comes to the floor, Graham is the first Republican on the Judiciary Committee to support her.
He may be the only one. Not all of the Republicans on the committee have announced their views, but the two who would seem mostly likely to defect Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), two veterans who have voted for every Supreme Court nominee theyve faced in the Senate have both expressed reservations about Sotomayor.
Hatch said that hes troubled by her nomination, and Grassley said that people take things into consideration now that they didnt used to before. He added: So obviously, there are other things to consider than just qualifications.
Graham said that Sotomayor is not the nominee he would have chosen.
But after questioning her extensively during her confirmation hearing asking about everything from her views on abortion to the charge that shes a bully on the bench he said Sotomayor deserves his support because a review of her 17-year record proved she was well-qualified, her confirmation would not upset the ideological balance on the court, and Obama is entitled to some latitude in making his pick because he won the election.
Most of all, he said, he wanted to return to the days where ideology was not part of the equation when choosing judicial nominees citing the 98-0 confirmation of Antonin Scalia in 1986 and the 96-3 confirmation of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1993.
I dont want to politicize the judiciary any more than has been done, Graham said. My goal is to ensure the rule of law isnt taken over by special-interest groups.
Whether it was his efforts to prevent the nuclear option in 2005 over George W. Bushs judicial nominations, to back the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility or to pass an immigration reform bill that the right calls amnesty for illegal immigrants, Graham is used to the heat.
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Rest at link.
...have to have at least one GOP vote on the committee...
I dont think that is correct is it? The Dems have majority status on the committee, so a party line vote would still go to the floor for a final vote, I believe. Grahams vote is irrelevant.
Grahamnesty just won reelection in 2008. Hes not up again until 2014.
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Oh, hell. Well, that is one time I did not want to be wrong...well, every dog has his day. People will not forget.
I heard this on a news commentary (I believe on Fox as I don't watch the others). Their point was that under Senate rules the nomination couldn't leave the Judiciary Committee for a floor vote without the "Yes" vote of at least one Republican. The report was slanted about how the departer of Senator Specter from the Republican Party might have cost them the one vote minimum that they needed on the committee. They further stated that it was entirely possible that Lindsey Graham could possibly take his spot as the leading RINO.
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If we chase this attitude that you have to say no to every Democratic proposal, you cant help the president ever, you cant ever reach across the aisle, then I dont want to be part of the movement because its a dead-end movement, Graham said. I have no desire to be up here in an irrelevant status. Im smart enough to know that this country doesnt have a problem with conservatives. It has a problem with blind ideology. And those who are ideological-driven to a fault are never going to be able to take this party back into relevancy. Clearly, Lindsay has been indoctrinated well by Queeg. |
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Or, it could be quite accurate.
How does this clown keep getting re-elected? Wow, once somebody is an incumbent, they can do anything and still have a job for life. It stinks.
It would just be nice if Lindsey supported the Republican President, Congress and voting base as frequently as he supports the Democrats.
This is what happens when we depend on girls to fight for our honor!
To all the ladies...please don’t take offense.
The trouble is, Lindey votes the majority of the time with the liberal side of things. This is not the exception, but the rule.
Besides, how many times has Kennedy voted on Republican things saying the same thing, or, for that matter, 0bama?
Let’s get real, Lindsey.
IOW, he has no standards or principles!
Sad, that!
Graham: Enjoy life in the minority.Apparently he is. Apparently he does.
South Carolina Republicans reelected this POS last year inflicting another six years of his BS on the country.
I’m conflicted about this one. Obama is going to nominate a liberal no matter who it is, and it won’t change the overall balance on the court. Is Sotomayor a better choice than the others Obama may nominate if she goes down? I don’t know. She doesn’t seem be that smart and may be swayable. Also, there are rumors that she is pro-life where others may not be. I’d say vote no in a second if there was a chance to get a conservative on the bench, but there isn’t, so we need to “pick our battles” and I don’t know enough about the dynamics to know if this is the right one to pick.
“If we chase this attitude that you have to say no to every Democratic proposal, you cant help the president ever, you cant ever reach across the aisle, then I dont want to be part of the movement because its a dead-end movement, Graham said.”
I believe McCain thinks that way also. They both should just resign if they don’t want to participate as our representatives our way.
There is no reaching across the aisle to a Communist dressed in DemocRAT Drag and accomplishing anything. THAT is the dead-end.
he seems more catcher than pitcher to me
Unfortunately, Graham was just re-elected so he'll damage the GOP for another 6 years.
“But after questioning her extensively during her confirmation hearing asking about everything from her views on abortion to the charge that shes a bully on the bench he said Sotomayor deserves his support because a review of her 17-year record proved she was well-qualified, her confirmation would not upset the ideological balance on the court, and Obama is entitled to some latitude in making his pick because he won the election.”
These are all extremely stupid reasons:
1. “her confirmation would not upset the ideological balance” Justice Souter didnt belong on the court either. You dont say ‘yes’ to an unfit judge on the basis of an unfit predecessor.
2. “Obama is entitled to some latitude” He needs to read his Constitution. The Senate must ADVISE on nominations. Acting like the President just gets his way even with bad picks is an abdication of that Constitutional duty.
3. “ Sotomayor deserves his support because a review of her 17-year record proved she was well-qualified”
Sen Graham is being dishonest and spineless here. Sotomayor was overturned on most rulings that went to the SCOTUS. She had 2nd amendment rulings and the Ricci ruling that were flatout wrong. She said offensive and wrong things about how judges should rule. She engaged in racial identity types speeches. She has worked with extremist groups.
In short, the record disagrees with Senator Graham and his ‘reasons’ are shameful and illogical.
Please, South Carolina, primary this limpwristed RINO next chance you get. His behavior is shameful.
Graham: “Im smart enough to know that this country doesnt have a problem with conservatives. It has a problem with blind ideology. And those who are ideological-driven to a fault are never going to be able to take this party back into relevancy.
If this country has a problem with blind ideology, then why doesn’t Graham have a problem with Sotomayor’s blind ideology?
Oh, that’s right. It’s only blind ideology if a conservative embraces the idea at issue.
“that you have to say no to every Democratic proposal, you cant help the president ever, you cant ever reach across the aisle”
To him its about reaching across the aisle and being an enabler of a socialist President, rather than defending the Constitution, our freedoms, and common sense.
If that is not a perfect encapsulation of what is wrong with RINO-ism I dont know what is. It’s a dunderheaded political position, akin to grabbing ones ankles and declaring to the Dems “COme and take it!”
“So next time the moderates puke about extremism...know what they are up to in the effort to keep the GOP in a minority.” - RINOs killed the GOP majority and will kill the GOP comeback if they are not caged and put in their place.
” Is Sotomayor a better choice than the others Obama may nominate if she goes down? I dont know.”
Correct. we dont know.
All we DO know is this: For many reasons, Sotomayor is UNFIT to serve on SCOTUS. ANY Senator pledged to uphold the Constitution would and should vote NO on her.
IT’S that simple!
People are triangulating about whether someone better or worse, or if you should spend ‘political capital’ on this. IT”S ALL IRRELEVENT. If Judge Sotomayor will be a bad SCOTUS Justice, then good Senators MUST VOTE “NO”.
” She doesnt seem be that smart and may be swayable.”
Wishful thinking. Smart or dumb, she’ll be a lib.
She’s an Obama clone, down to the elite-trained racially sensitive, overhyped resume.
” Also, there are rumors that she is pro-life where others may not be.”
Bogus. Planted by the Obama camp in order to distract and confuse the right. It partly worked. Sotomayor was and is a vote to uphold Roe, that was one area she was PERFECTLY clear.
” Id say vote no in a second if there was a chance to get a conservative on the bench, but there isnt”
Again - NOT RELEVENT. The Constitutional duty of the Senators is to advise on nominations. If Sotomayor is UNFIT, it doesnt matter who she replaced, who else Obama might pick, etc. UNFIT requires a “NO” vote.
” so we need to pick our battles and I dont know enough about the dynamics to know if this is the right one to pick.”
Again, I make it simple: Obama has a Democrat majority, he will get his picks seated even if every Republican votes no. This is not about calculating the impact, but about fulfilling a Constitutional duty to advise and consent. By voting “NO” Republicans signal that they will not tolerate liberal judicial activists and race-baiting judges on the SCOTUS.
ANY REPUBLICAN SENATOR WHO “CONSENTS” TO ALLOWING LIBERAL JUDICIAL ACTIVISTS ON THE FEDERAL COURT BENCH IS ABDICATING HIS OR HER DUTY. They are trashing core planks in the Republican party platform. They are spitting in the face of the GOP grassroots.
They are literally Cuckoos, stealing from conservatives our rightful voice in this matter.
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