Well I have enjoyed listening to the Sotomayor hearings when I can. It is an interesting window into our judicial system as well as our elected officials.
Of course Sotomayor is an incredible nominee and is a good middle of the road candidate.
What has been most striking to me is how the republicans keep making twisted accusations and how the press gives credibility to them. I noticed in an online article that they quoted Jeff Sessions' complaint that she is biased and racist but never said anything about who Sessions is. Media Maters has a great article discussing this exact thing. Sessions was denied a spot as a federal judge (even by republicans) because he himself is a racist. Pot calling the kettle black but do any of the major media sources mention this when giving his twisted attacks credibility? No. You can read the original at the link below or just read the excerpt I included below which sums it up.
Another ridiculous point they are trying to make is that Obama's "empathy" standard is bad. One of the Republicans actually said that by having empathy for someone you must in turn be prejudiced against another group. He said therefor if you are empathetic you are by definition prejudiced. Obviously he has no idea what it means to be empathetic.
Another insight into Republican ideology came when one of the Republicans used his time to make points on two issues: guns and abortion. He went on and on about how important the 2nd amendment is and how he is worried that cities, etc may make laws pertaining to gun use and he also grandstanded against abortion. Funny, seems like he arguing we should make laws to protects unborn lives but is in the same breath arguing against laws to protect the lives of others. And are these even the two most important issues facing us today? Or is he just pandering to his loyal base?
the interesting article and many others:
SUMMARY: On July 14, five major newspapers reported on Jeff Sessions' opening statement at the confirmation hearing of Judge Sonia Sotomayor without noting that, in 1986, Sessions' nomination as a U.S. district court judge was rejected following allegations that Sessions had a history of making racially charged comments.
On July 14, the nation's five major newspapers reported Sen. Jeff Sessions' (R-AL) opening statement at the confirmation hearing of Judge Sonia Sotoamyor without reporting in that day's print editions that, in 1986, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected Sessions' nomination as a U.S. district court judge following testimony that reportedly included allegations that Sessions had a history of making racially charged comments. In addition, as noted by the Associated Press, Sessions' "nomination originally drew fire from civil rights groups because of his [1985] prosecution ... of three west Alabama civil rights activists on vote fraud charges. The three were acquitted by a federal court jury, prompting civil rights leaders to charge that the prosecution was an attempt to intimidate black voters."
Media Matters reviewed the coverage in the July 14 print editions of The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal.
In a June 6, 1986, report about the Judiciary Committee's rejection of Sessions' nomination, the AP described the allegations:
All eight Democrats on the committee voted against Sessions on both motions, as did Sen. Charles Mathias, R-Md. Another Republican on the panel, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, voted against recommending the nomination favorably but voted for sending the nomination to the full Senate with no recommendation.
[...]
The nomination originally drew fire from civil rights groups because of his prosecution last year of three west Alabama civil rights activists on vote fraud charges.
The three were acquitted by a federal court jury, prompting civil rights leaders to charge that the prosecution was an attempt to intimidate black voters to help ensure Denton's re-election.
Sessions denied those charges and defended the prosecution during his first appearance before the Judiciary Committee in March. But he soon faced new allegations that he had made a series of racially insensitive statements.
Witnesses accused Sessions of calling a black lawyer a "boy," of describing church and civil rights groups as "un-American," of agreeing with a statement that a white civil rights lawyer was a "disgrace to his race," and of saying he thought the Ku Klux Klan was all right until he learned members smoked marijuana.
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