Hate to gloat (actually, we don't hate it that much...) but we duly noted, and swelled up in a non-biblical way watching Sen. Al Franken presiding over the history-making confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court on Thursday. Franken was sworn into office less than a month ago.
Sotomayor is the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice and Franken is the first talk radio host elected to the US Senate.
Sotomayor who's also the third woman named to the court was affirmed, 68-31,over the 31 Republican ' no votes.
Republicans, whose predominately Southern white, male base fear the fast-growing Hispanic population, and opposed Sotomayor, pose a nutty, knotty problem- particularly for Southern Senators with 2010 primary contests. It's a bind: the Party faces many problems if they can't win more of this massive block's votes.
Voting so decisively against Sotomayor was an inauspicious way to start doing that, and today's vote will be an ugly dog barking in campaigns for years to come.
Great news all the way around. What an honor for Al!
Posted by: sparky | August 06, 2009 at 03:17 PM
"Sotomayor, you are good enough. You are smart enough. And doggonit people like you." - Stuart Smalley
Posted by: mrogi | August 06, 2009 at 03:21 PM
Too bad we can't get Hatch (who has never previously voted no on a nominee) or Bennett out of office. I don't think they represent the 'new' west effectively at all.
Posted by: Potato | August 06, 2009 at 03:37 PM
Orrin Hatch will leave the Senate feet first in a pine box, just like Senator Byrd. He is a staunch Mormon in a staunch Mormon state...unless he is caught doing something really bad, he is there for life.
Posted by: sparky | August 06, 2009 at 04:48 PM
And Kennedy.........
My daughter was up from Tucson last week and we discussed Sotomayor. I told her how proud she and her brother should be to have a beaner on the Supremes.
She said that she would have voted against Sotomayor because she thought a judge should be able to settle a case 100% by the law and The Constitution, without taking in to account race, background or empathy for any such crap.
She certainly makes a father proud.
Posted by: chucks | August 06, 2009 at 04:58 PM
Good job with your daughter Chucks.
When ethnic/gender priorities trump selecting the most qualified we know there is a liberal administration who could give a rats ass about interpretation of law and the constitution.
Style over substance.
Posted by: oda231 | August 06, 2009 at 05:52 PM
Whine flu..you has it.
Posted by: sparky | August 06, 2009 at 06:12 PM
"told her how proud she and her brother should be to have a beaner on the Supremes"
Good news, we will win more elections thanks to the GOP' 2 state strategy.
Posted by: Coiler | August 06, 2009 at 08:03 PM
One must ask; the picture of sotomayor heading this string-is she dressed for Halloween?
My God, Blam, please post a warning that viewing may be injurious to ones eyes and result in nightmares.
The Helen Thomas replacement is on board.
Posted by: oda231 | August 06, 2009 at 08:48 PM
all liberals should be proud about this...I bet one of the proudest liberals is the guy in the bra that's in the story on this page yesterday.... him and his friends..(like the gay guy who runs this blog) are very very proud...
Posted by: a proud liberal | August 07, 2009 at 04:44 AM
It amusing in a way to see these racists say that the only reason Sotomayor was nominated and confirmed was because she is a hispanic woman. Any person graduating at the top of their class in a school like that with the judicial record she has would be a good nominee. The only difference is that this time a person with her qualifications was not overlooked because of her gender and ethnic background.
Posted by: LucasFoxx | August 07, 2009 at 09:40 AM