Here we have the very essence, the core if you will, of right wing objections to Judge Sotomayor’s nomination. I give you the intellectual stylings and logical superiority of Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton:

David Shuster: "What evidence do you have that she would put her feelings and politics above the rule of law?"

Tom Fitton: "Because President Obama chose her."

She was nominated by a Democratic President. Ergo, she must be unacceptable without any factual foundation as to why. 

Taaaa daaaaaaaaaah.

It isn’t as though this is a shocker, given that GOP Senators fired off a letter to President Obama a while back demanding that his judicial appointments be to their conservative liking or else:

[GOP Senators] insisted that Mr. Obama begin by appointing holdover Bush nominees who were never confirmed by the Senate. There is no need to do so, and Mr. Obama should not.

The Republican senators are also demanding veto rights over nominees from their states….

It is particularly strange to see Senate Republicans raising the specter of filibustering nominees. When Mr. Bush was doing the nominating, Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah and a former Judiciary Committee chairman, warned Democrats that filibusters “mired the judicial-confirmation process in a political and constitutional crisis that undermines democracy, the judiciary, the Senate, and the Constitution.”

Do as they say at the moment, not as they used to say you should do at the top of their lungs because it no longer applies to them. So there.

Confusing? It’s meant to be. (more…)

Leaking cup via vrogy.

Oh my.  So much for the super secret wingnutty wurlitzer blast faxer-iffic strategery.  The RNC has sprung an unintentional media leak out the wazoo.

Included on the released list were 500 influential Republicans who were the intended recipients of the talking points. Unfortunately for the RNC, so were members of the media.

Here are the talking points:

o President Obama’s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court is an important decision that will have an impact on the United States long after his administration.

o Republicans are committed to a fair confirmation process and will reserve judgment until more is known about Judge Sotomayor’s legal views, judicial record and qualifications.

o Until we have a full view of the facts and comprehensive understanding of Judge Sotomayor’s record, Republicans will avoid partisanship and knee-jerk judgments – which is in stark contrast to how the Democrats responded to the Judge Roberts and Alito nominations.

And there is so much more there. Do read them all.

Not surprisingly, RNC Chairman Michael Steele’s statement tracks these closely:

Supreme Court vacancies are rare, which makes Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination a perfect opportunity for America to have a thoughtful discussion about the role of the Supreme Court in our daily lives. Republicans will reserve judgment on Sonia Sotomayor until there has been a thorough and thoughtful examination of her legal views

Cut, meet paste.

This strikes me as an opportune moment for an news show/article game: how many times can you identify specific reporters/politicians/pundits mouthing these words? Let’s keep track today, shall we?

The appointment of Maria Sotomayor for the Supreme Court is the clearest indication yet that President Obama’s campaign promises to be a centrist and think in a bipartisan way were mere rhetoric. Sotomayor comes from the far left and will likely leave us with something akin to the "Extreme Court" that could mark a major shift.

Did they employ some SNL reject to write this up?  Because it certainly reads like a badly scripted skit.  "Extreme Court."  Oh, that’s a good one.  Burn. 

*cough*

Or do you think the "they are all named Maria, aren’t they" slippage was just a typo?

Laughter. It really is the best medicine. (more…)

Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick appeared on The Takeaway radio program in NYC this morning, and her characterization on the Sotomayor nomination and her Hispanic heritage was spot on:She’s not just another appeals court judge–she is dramatically different.

As I said earlier, Sotomayor brings real world experience to the table along with her bench credentials, akin to what we saw with Justices Marshall and Ginsburg, albeit on different subjects

The White House has sent out an official press notice that their SCOTUS announcement will come at 10:15 am ET. NBC News, the AP and SCOTUSblog all indicate that the upcoming SCOTUS pick will be Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.

As I said earlier, Sotomayor has a compelling personal story to bring to the nomination table:She grew up in the projects in the

Far be it for me, a mere citizen, to point out the obvious. But Sen. Ben Nelson is off message on legal issues. Again….on Fox News Sunday, Nelson reserved himself the right to support a filibuster of Obama’s first Supreme Court nominee.

Memorial Day began as a way to honor the fallen from the Civil War:…no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit. The day evolved to honor the lives, service and sacrifices of those having served in all of America’s wars and conflicts, and was officially declared a national holiday in 1971…

Unctuous doesn’t begin to describe Newt Gingrich’s “serious look” at a 2012 presidential run.  Isn’t that a fine “how do you do” to return to from a nice vacation…