Republicans To Begin "Raising Concerns" About Judge Sotomayor's Nomination This Weekend
Contradicting their repeated insistence that they will need "adequate time" to examine Judge Sonia Sotomayor's record to prepare for her confirmation hearings, Republicans plan to spend the weekend laying the groundwork for opposition - despite the fact that, three days after her nomination was announced, Republicans still don't know "what specific concerns they will raise."
Republicans Seem To Be Looking For "Adequate Time" To Drum Up Opposition To The Nomination - Whether There Are Valid Concerns Or Not
According to an article on May 28, 2009 in Roll Call, "Senate Republicans are preparing their first wave of attacks on President Barack Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court and plan to roll out their preliminary "concerns" this weekend, GOP aides said Thursday [...] Republicans are still working out what specific concerns they will raise, but the source said lawmakers will likely avoid "the top-line criticisms" of conservatives, particularly any attacks that could be seen as overtly playing the race card or taking politically motivated shots at Sotomayor."
It appears that, rather than taking a long, measured look at the nominee, Republicans plan to sow the seeds of opposition without so much as a genuine list of concerns to address. It is even more interesting to see which Republicans leaders in the Senate are at the center of this push for negative coverage, given their past statements of support for a fair period of evaluation. On May 26, Senator Cornyn said in a press release, "it is imperative that my colleagues and members of the media do not pre-judge or pre-confirm Ms. Sotomayor. It is my hope that the process will allow her to prove herself to possess the impartiality, integrity, legal expertise and judicial temperament that we have come to expect from those that sit on our highest court." But it seems that three days later, he has other plans:
According to the Roll Call article: "According to GOP leadership aides, Judiciary ranking member Jeff Sessions' (R-Ala.) staff on the committee have quietly been preparing a list of potential issues and concerns for Republicans to raise in the coming weeks in advance of Sotomayor's confirmation hearings. Beginning with appearances on this Sunday's talk shows by Sessions, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas), Republican leaders will begin 'the next phase in raising concerns' about Sotomayor, one aide explained."
On May 26, Senator McConnell said in a press release: "Senate Republicans will treat Judge Sotomayor fairly. But we will thoroughly examine her record to ensure she understands that the role of a jurist in our democracy is to apply the law even-handedly, despite their own feelings or personal or political preferences. Our Democratic colleagues have often remarked that the Senate is not a 'rubber stamp.' Accordingly, we trust they will ensure there is adequate time to prepare for this nomination, and a full and fair opportunity to question the nominee and debate her qualifications."
That same day, Senator Sessions said: "The Senate Judiciary Committee's role is to act on behalf of the American people to carefully scrutinize Ms. Sotomayor's qualifications, experience, and record. We will engage in a fair and thorough examination of Ms. Sotomayor's previous judicial opinions, speeches, and academic writings to determine if she has demonstrated the characteristics that great judges share: integrity, impartiality, legal expertise, and a deep and unwavering respect for the rule of law. [...] President Obama has stated his desire to have a full court seated at the start of its next term, a reasonable goal toward which the Judiciary Committee should responsibly and diligently move. But we must remember that a Supreme Court justice sits for a lifetime appointment, and the Senate hearing is the only opportunity for the American people to engage in the nomination process. Adequate preparation will take time. I will insist that, consistent with recent confirmation processes, every senator be accorded the opportunity to prepare, ask questions, and receive full and complete answers."
Rolling out a pre-emptive media strike against the nominee two days after the nomination is announced, without a clear list of concerns and seemingly motivated only by partisanship, does not seem to offer "opportunity for the American people to engage in the nomination process" or "a fair and thorough examination of Ms. Sotomayor's previous judicial opinions." Will the Republicans who have insisted they need months to prepare for a fair nomination instead use the time to lay the groundwork for baseless opposition?
