The Senate Follies

Some beautiful nuggets from the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings, all from Republicans of course:

First, a lack of basic civility and manners:

SEN. JON KYL: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Judge, could I return briefly to a series of questions that Senator Feingold asked at the very beginning relating to the Maloney decision relating to the Second Amendment.

SONIA SOTOMAYOR: Sure.

KYL: Yes...

SOTOMAYOR: Good afternoon, by the way.

KYL: Oh, I'm sorry?

SOTOMAYOR: Good afternoon, by the way.

KYL: Yes, good afternoon. You had indicated, of course, if that case were to come before the court, under the recusal statute, you would recuse yourself from participating in the decision.

Next, an apparent belief that judges of the same ethnicity should vote the same way:

SESSIONS: You voted not to reconsider the prior case. You voted to stay with the decision of the circuit. And in fact your vote was the key vote. Had you voted with Judge Cabranes, himself of Puerto Rican ancestry, had you voted with him, you could’ve changed that case. Sessions then deemed Sotomayor "unsuitable for the bench" because she had been involved with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF). Sessions was obviously unaware that Judge Cabranes also served on PRLDEF’s board.

And, of course, Lindsey Graham, whose questioning of Sotomayor is available here http://www.washingtonpost.com. Did he let her answer even one question? He pretty much just listed his grievances, asked his moronic questions ("Do you understand military law?" Well, NO, idiot), and then moved on to his next talking point. I think Sotomayor spoke about 5 times, Graham about 50. What this transcript doesn't reflect is the sneering self-satisfaction of Graham as he's performing.

Each of these examples leads me to wonder under what circumstances the GOP will ever win the Latino vote again. It's less the questioning and more the attitude, the condescension, the cluelessness with which the questions are asked. These guys are relics and they seem not to know it. Which can only be good for the Dems. Viva le GOP!