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The Spectacle Blog
Apparently all the questioning is wrapping up. I know I’ve mean more harsh than not about the GOP senators. That has been on individual interrogations. Now is the time for the overall grade.
Try a C+. And I consider a C+ to be a weak grade. The object should be to give the public a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the nominee and of how and why THEY, the public, should care. The biggest problem was the GOP senators’ weakness in asking follow-up questions. The nearly co-biggest problem was their inability to connect the dots and summarize them concisely. They had a lot of individual questions and comments that were strong, but the overall impression was of people sure of what they believe in but not sure that their beliefs are politically winning beliefs (even though they are), and thus a bit tentative in making all these issues explicit IN A MEMORABLE way.
They didn’t have to play dirty like Democrats so often did against Republican nominees. But they DID need to be tough, declarative, firm, and eloquent. Overall, they did only a moderately good job of that. They did NOT do anything strong enough to really pressure their DEMOCRATIC colleagues outside of the committee to feel the heat for voting for Sotomayor. In all, they gained a few points, but it was a larger opprtunity very much missed.
I despair.
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More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/07/16/overall-grade-of-gop-senators
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Old Texican| 7.16.09 @ 1:43PM
Mr. Hillyer
Please do not despair.
We need your voice on behalf of our country.
We SHALL win this war, dragging our congress critters crying and screaming behind us!
Quin| 7.16.09 @ 1:54PM
Old Texican: Thanks so much for all your nice comments. You are a true stalwart, and a great American. And your determination is a grand thing. We need more people to show the same attitude.
Bert| 7.16.09 @ 2:07PM
Quinn, all I know is that if all seven GOP members of the Judiciary Committee would refuse to allow the committee to vote on Sotomayor (a kind of "mini-fillibuster" made possible by Cmte. Rule IV), her nomination would never go to the floor. The rule requires that at least one minority member join in the effort to bring the matter to a vote.
I really don't care how artfully they asked their questions. We already knew what we needed to know about her lack of qualification to serve on the Court before the hearing started. There are only two grades for performance on this: A+, if you withhold your vote,and F if you weasel out. Unfortunately, Cornyn and Graham have already indicated that they will take the weasel route. I fully expect Hatch to do the same.
Then, after assuring her confirmation by letting her get to a floor vote, these same weasels will vote against her and pretend to the conservative base that they did all they could.
Well, they didn't do all they could have done. If all seven would refuse to let her out of committee, she would never be on the Court. It is that simple.
Geron | 7.16.09 @ 3:15PM
They failed. They get an INCOMPLETE.
They have conditioned us to hate racism for 45 years and then our own Senators cannot ask her about her membership in La Raza?
They're scared of offending! They have no business in the Senate. It is NO CHAMBER FOR FRIGHTENED OLD MEN
Oldefarte| 7.16.09 @ 3:41PM
Quin, once again, POWER CORRUPTS, and my only hope is that you, the AS, and all good conservative journalists will continue to detail WHO and WHAT has been done concerning this nomination. I strongly urge you to inform the public going forward which Republican congressmen are up for re-election, AND how each has voted regarding Sotomayor and Obama/Democrats proposals; so that possibly the offending ones can be replaced/defeated!!!!!!!
Tim| 7.16.09 @ 4:32PM
Malone: Why do you want to be a police officer?
Williamson: To protect the... people and the... p...
Malone: I'm not looking for the textbook answer. Why do you want to join the force.
Williamson: The force?
Malone: Yeah, why do you want to join the force.
Williamson: Because... I...
Malone: Yeah?
Williamson: ...think I could help.
Malone: You think you could help.
Williamson: ...with the force.
Malone: Thank you very much, you've been most helpful.
[Williamson leaves]
Malone: [to Ness] There goes the next chief of police.
The Untouchables 1987
Popblogger | 7.16.09 @ 5:02PM
Quinn, You're C+ is a gift. There was enough information to stop her confirmation, certainly to justify no Republican votes in committee, but they lacked the courage. Now, we'll have her on the nation's highest court for many, many years.
Old Texican| 7.16.09 @ 7:15PM
You oldefarte!
Thank you!
We do need to know the names of some hellraisers for America!
Amspec guys.........help us out in one place so we can go to work!
Patriot| 7.16.09 @ 7:43PM
It would be nice to have more stalwart AmSpec writers (not you, Quin). Squishy just don't cut it.
Mike| 7.16.09 @ 8:24PM
THANK YOU JEFF SESSIONS! THANK YOU JEFF SESSIONS!. Your comment on cocaine not only underlined the importance of context but also the incredible hypocrisy of the GOP. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions = oppressed, angry, privileged white guy. The perfect spokesidiot for the TAS crowd.
Dolly| 7.16.09 @ 8:41PM
Mike, Jeff Sessions is 'oppressed'? You mean he's oppressed by the stupidity of liberal morons such as yourself?
Talk about a spokesidiot, you do your fellow libtards proud.
Mike | 7.16.09 @ 9:06PM
Dolly,
You're right. Sessions is not oppressed. He's just playing suckers like you to his advantage.
Old Texican| 7.16.09 @ 11:12PM
Mike
Take a deep breath and grab your ankles. ...Then...Go to Mexico and eat a lot of fresh produce.
THEN you will understand what your hiney is supposed to be used for.
Basil Plumley| 7.16.09 @ 11:25PM
@ Old Texican
You forgot one piece of advice for Mike ...... Don't forget to drink the water while in Mexico.
Patrick M | 7.16.09 @ 11:39PM
I am glad the GOP Senators at least asked tough questions, but I too despair that they signaled it was for show (viz Graham's comments and Cornyn calling her rulings 'mainstream' - why?!?) It's beyond me why the GOP Senators would be faked out by the DC inside-the-beltway politically-correct lets-bend-over-backward-since-its-a-minority nomination. Did they forget Miguel Estrada, or Clarence Thomas? Sotomayor was dishonest, sloppy in her words/gaffeprone, showed herself to be not the sharpest tool in the tool shed, and has so many leftist/activist statements, associations and rulings that not a single Republican has any right to vote for her and consider their oath of office upheld. She will be a menace to the Constitution.
Dolly| 7.16.09 @ 11:53PM
Old Tex and Basil, doesn't matter what Mike does, his head is so far up his hiney, ain't nothin' going to get through. Especially the TRUTH!
Angel| 7.16.09 @ 11:57PM
Idiot Mike--you meant to say repressed. Dumb as a Dipstick liberal.
Winghunter| 7.17.09 @ 2:47AM
Don't sweat it folks because We, The People can do this by calling EVERY senator. We can't suffer Sotomayor;
http://tinyurl.com/mr2y9c
Mike| 7.17.09 @ 8:37AM
Old Texican, Basil and Dolly,
Sounds like all three of you speak from experience. The three of you have been bending over, holding your ankles and taking the good ole right wing bull right up the........
Basil Plumley| 7.17.09 @ 11:54AM
Hey Mike,
In the article just below this concerning Cornyn, I challenged you to find the precedent law that Sotomayor used to rule on Ricci. She could not answer that question from Kyl and to date you haven't either.
It appears you accept the ruminations of the left-wing without challenge.
That last post of yours was pretty weak as well. I hope you will do much better with your posting.
Patriot| 7.17.09 @ 2:00PM
Mike is a prime example of a mind-numbed fascist liberal. Moron is poor at English, too.
Pingback| 7.26.09 @ 6:49PM
Senatorial grades… « Time for Thorns links to this page. Here’s an excerpt: