John Cornyn Repudiates Gingrich And Limbaugh Comments About Sotomayor

One of the top Republicans in the Senate, John Cornyn, is repudiating recent comments by Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich which claimed that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is a racist.

Cornyn, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told NPR's "All Things Considered":

"I think it's terrible... This is not the kind of tone any of us want to set when it comes to performing our constitutional responsibilities of advise and consent."

Cornyn dismissed Limbaugh and Gingrich, adding: "Neither one of these men are elected Republican officials. I just don't think it's appropriate. I certainly don't endorse it. I think it's wrong."

In recent days, Limbaugh and Gingrich have made headlines and stirred up controversy, along with condemnation from the White House, with their comments.

On Wednesday, Gingrich wrote on Twitter:

"Imagine a judicial nominee said 'my experience as a white man makes me better than a Latina woman.' New racism is no better than old racism."

Limbaugh, citing Sotomayor's decision in Ricci v. DeStefano -- an affirmative action case involving the New Haven fire department that's being reviewed by the Supreme Court -- called the judge a "reverse racist" on his daily radio show Tuesday.

"So here you have a racist. You might -- you might want to soften that, and you might want to say a reverse racist. And the libs, of course, say that minorities cannot be racists because they don't have the power to implement their racism. Well, those days are gone, because reverse racists certainly do have the power to implement their power. Obama is the greatest living example of a reverse racist, and now he's appointed one."

Media Matters For America, the non-profit research and monitoring group, compiled a video of those comments, along with other "racist" accusations.

WATCH:

Comments

[ObamAtomic]

08:10 PM on 05/29/2009

Can I comment ?

Those older white males,are inept to accept Sonia Sotomayor.

[ScreenName05]

06:34 PM on 05/29/2009

Okay, enough with the racism. Too many people are using this term far too freely. Racism is refusing to drink from the same fountain or go to the same bathroom or ride on the same bus as people of a different race. Racism is not letting your kids go to school with kids of a different race. Racism is dragging people out of their houses and hanging them.

Racism is not preferring to be with people of your own race. Racism is not having opinions that favor your race. Racism is not supporting people of your own race.

We need to get our heads on straight, just because I like white people, or black people or brown people does not make me a racist.

We need to stop throwing around this term so loosely, it has a meaning and that meaning is very very negative and represents real dangers, not just silly opinions. This attitude is degrading to the people who fought and marched against real racism. This attitude ignores the millions of people who were killed in the holocaust because of their racial heritage.

[ObamAtomic]

09:58 PM on 05/29/2009

Racism is when a group of inept older white males disrespect a woman because of her
heritage that's Racism!,That's Sexism! eh!

[triplbee]

05:37 PM on 05/29/2009

The party of aggrieved, Southern, white, evangelical Christian males....has a hell of future to look forward to.

[medici]

05:22 PM on 05/29/2009

I'm taking bets on how long it will be before Cornyn apologizes to Rush.

[Antonio518]

04:20 PM on 05/29/2009

Apparently any Black or Latino/a person who steps out of their assigned subservient place is automatically a reverse racist. As if the white anglo-saxon protestant justices didnt use their training and cultural background to base their decisions on. I havent seen any of them solving judicial problems using Buddhist teachings. And finally, if Sotomayor is Hispanic, what part of Spain is she from? Does that make the pundits British?

[Mitchbailey]

03:56 PM on 05/29/2009

Republican Cornyn trying' to be a statesman...too little too late.

[springsm]

03:54 PM on 05/29/2009

this "cracker" got his desire and pleased the NRA by getting loaded weapons on one's person permitted in NATIONAL PARKS. (the safest places in the usa...except to the fearfull gun nuts) so he can afford to be magnanimous. However, he has to be re-elected too. It would be very pleasing if the texans grew up between now and then.

[cuomofied]

03:34 PM on 05/29/2009

"Imagine a judicial nominee said 'my experience as a white man makes me better than a Latina woman'"

I hate to say it, but Gingrich is spot on. If this situation were reversed, the left would be having a field day.

Is Sotomeyer capable? Most likely, yes.

Are her personal views and decisions on race and 1st amendment rights frightening? You bet.

I do not support her nomination.

[sippewissett]

02:27 PM on 05/29/2009

Gee, some integrity in the GOP. Good for Cornyn. I only hope he doesn't have to join the long line of GOPers apologizing to King Rush. He's right. The Senate is being asked to perform an important role in vetting a supreme court justice. Can the GOP set the right tone or succumb to petty politics? As the MINORITY party (something they have yet to realize), some decorum from them might earn back some of the waning respect we moderates have for them. They are crippled by spokespersons who rant and slander in the name of First Amendment rights, but are woefully lacking in statesmanship and decorum that we want in our leaders. I respect Cornyn a lot for speaking out, even if it's because of re-election motives. Let's hope the Right wing of his party doesn't shout him down -- or have Steele threaten to withhold re-election funds (as he did when another pol displeased him).

[sinope]

02:23 PM on 05/29/2009

He's no dummy, he can read the writing on the wall. And he's no Michael Steele to come back with his tail between his legs... Cornyn is one of the most powerful men in the country.

[johnthomson33545]

02:12 PM on 05/29/2009

While he is covering his political butt,he does deserve some credit for speaking up.As long as he doesn't change course and kiss Rush's butt he's done well.

[Horus45]

02:11 PM on 05/29/2009

If Cornyn loses the Hispanic vote in Texas, he will lose the election.

[Bush-Rolled]

07:43 PM on 05/29/2009

Bingo!

[KodeBloo]

02:04 PM on 05/29/2009

Obama plays chess while the Repubs play checkers. He set them up with this nomination of Sotomayor and now they're feeding on each other and driving wedges even deeper within their own ranks, just as he knew they would.

Gotta love it.

[Horus45]

10:09 AM on 05/30/2009

Yes, the brilliance of our President is so refreshing!

[sol2009]

01:59 PM on 05/29/2009

Lets start a lottery to predict when John Cornyn will apogize to Rush just like the other politicians have.

[kepary]

01:56 PM on 05/29/2009

is Joe biden a republican??? lol