Top Republican Has Effusive Praise For Sotomayor (VIDEO)

***SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO***

Sen. Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, let his Republican counterpart do the heavy lifting on Sunday's Meet The Press, when it came to the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court.

Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, had effusive words of praise for Sotomayor.

"Let me just say that this lady has got a good record, as Pat said, for a judge," said Sessions, while sitting next to Leahy. "Prosecutor, lawyer, judge, district trial judge, federal judge--she's smart, she's capable."

Sessions didn't end there, adding, "She's got the kind of background you would look for, almost an ideal mix of private practice, trial prosecution and circuit judge. That's strong in her favor."

Sessions warm remarks are an early indication of just how difficult it will be for Republicans to block her nomination.

The debate over Sotomayor's nomination has focused on the notion of empathy and whether a judge should have any. During the news show, Sessions was shown a clip of the current Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito saying at his 2006 confirmation hearing that that he takes personal factors into consideration.

"When I get a case about discrimination, I have to think about people in my own family who suffered discrimination because of their ethnic background or because of religion or because of gender. And I do take that into account," said Alito.

Host David Gregory asked Sessions if he thought Alito's approach problematic.

"Well, everybody should have empathy," he said. "Everybody should have feelings and sensitivities to other human beings and show that in their life and their compassion to people. But a judge is required, I think, to be neutral, to rule on the law and the facts and not allow their personal experience to override that. She said in her written remarks that she felt that perhaps even in most cases a person should aspire to overcome their personal experiences, but that they, in most cases, they may not. So that was a pretty troubling thing to me...She needs to have the opportunity to explain this...we'll ask questions about it and she should expect a rigorous but fair hearing."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Ryan Grim is the author of This Is Your Country On Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America, due out in June

Comments

[carl99e]

I still remember the moment when Justice Thomas was asked what he thought about abortion in his confirmation hearing and his answer was that he never had. And they let him get away with that answer. An obvious lie.

[blood1]

RE: Sessions - talk is cheap when you are not facing re-election for 6 years. Only time will tell how if this is rhetoric or true during the confirmation hearings.

[amiri1]

Sonia Sotomayor is a brilliant Latina. I cannot wait to hear her responses to questions she will receive in the Senator confirmation hearings.

[SmokingKills]

My comment is not about the story as much as about its title. Were you being sarcastic by suggesting Sotomayor was "effusively praised" by Jeff Sessions, 'cause I didn't sense much praise there. He was so "troubled" I thought he might keel over any minute.

[HumeSkeptic]

Fight this nomination to de-ath, Repubs.
Dems: Get some graves ready.

[dphilip]

We can't block her confirmation. We just want to smear her personally and damage her reputation enough to have an impact on her effectiveness. If we're lucky, maybe we can humiliate and discourage her enough that either she or her family will become disgusted with the process and withdraw. I would like to see one of her family members break down in tears in the conference room like Alito's wife did maybe just as a bonus..

[Badfickle]

and in the process you'll look like bitter id1iots

[alabaman]

Sen. Sessions has come a long ways since the days of his confirmation hearings back in 1986 to be a federal district judge. Durings his hearings, witnesses testified that he said the NAACP was "un-American" and that the k l a n was "ok." He denied this, but was not confirmed by a Republican-controlled Senate judiciary committee.

[ObamaTheWeak]

she's a kreep. let's not forget that obama supported a filibuster in the confirmation proceedings for Roberts. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Filibuster. let's fillibuster

[mari2JJ]

It is not the end of the world if stupid Republicans try to filibuster this nomination. They will just look stupider. Imagine this bunch thinking that Harriet Myers was fine, poor resume though she had, but they find fault with this candidate. I remember when I lived in Texas that Republicans owned the Hispanic vote. I know that as a Republican, I used to shudder at the hate filled language directed to blacks and Hispanics. All that has already reduced the number of Hispanics voting Republican. But if Republicans chose to TRY to stop this nomination, I think they can kiss the big bulk of the rest of Hispanics goodbye for years to come. Of course, that is no reason to do something. Republicans should approve this wonderfully qualified nominee on the merits of her resume. To do less will buy these guys and gals in the party a big time vacation from politics. Even as a Republican, I say that is as it should be.

[StellaRay]

For God's sake, why don't you stop huffing and bluffing and actually try to blow the house down. Stop threatening and go for it.

By all means, fillibuster your hinders off. Continue to say NO TO EVERYTHING, even a centrist court nominee who many progressives think is too conservative. Keep right on refusing to choose your battles. Keep right on adding nothing but negative discourse to this country's problems. Keep right on offending two thirds of the nation.

Really, don't change a thing. Stay just the way you are. That will give most of us the huge pleasure of at least 8 years of democratic rule, and now I'm giddy, maybe even more!

[Badfickle]

2nd in her class and Princeton
Editor of the Yale law Journal
More experience at the Federal level than any supreme court nominee in 100 years.
More varied experience at Federal level than most appointed to SCOTUS
And the GOP wants to claim she was only chosen for her race/gender.

Brilliant.

[ObamaTheWeak]

i do think she is a very smart, not brilliant, rr@cist

[wyntka]

Oh, I'm so sorry, that's wrong, but thanks for playing!!

[ObamaTheWeak]

Checkmate!

BRAVO

The California Supreme Court's decision to uphold Proposition 8 signifies a major victory, not only for the people of California and for proponents of traditional marriage, but for the democratic tradition as well.

[Stonybrooke2]

"I would hope that a wise white man with the richness of his experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a Latino woman who hasn't lived that life," he said.

[IWantTofu]

I know what you mean. The experience of getting into Ivy league school because of the family you were born into rather than your accomplishments and test scores. The moral standing of a mediocre student to claim with a straight face that a minority Judge who finished second in her class at Princeton is not smart, and insinuate that she was there only because of affirmative action. I truly believe that a wise white man that hires illegal Mexican workers to his yard, and to babysit his children would reach a better conclusion than a Latino woman who hasn't lived that life. Those are truly rich experiences.

[ObamaTheWeak]

"I would hope that a wise white man with the richness of his experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a Latino woman who hasn't lived that life," he said. I agree and i think such a white man would rendr a bettr decision. she is rr@cist.

[mthespian]

don't suppose you've considered reading the entire remarks that comes from? Context! It's good for you!

[arocco]

There are no wise white men!!

[ObamaTheWeak]

It is very easy to solve our healthcare and energy problems but it takes a very strong leader that we don't have and haven't had for generations.

The solutions are easy:
1. Tort reform which would immediately make our healthcare costs on a par with Europe where tort is not an issue.
2. A $5 per gallon tax on gasoline
3. Nuclear energy across the nation.

All our problems would be solved but our leader is too WEAK to accomplish these objectives.
He would rather play to special interests which want none of these solutions.

[wyntka]

Can you name a candidate who would campaign on a $5/gallon tax?

[IWantTofu]

We don't have an energy problem. Gasoline prices goes up, people drive less and more fuel efficient cars. What people want is cheap gasoline. We don't need a $5/gal tax. Let everyone use cheap gasoline now, and when we run short, the price goes up, and people will use less.

There is more than enough coal and natural gas to power our country for decades to come. An nuclear power already represents about 20% of our electricity generation. Coal is about 50%, natural gas about 20%, oil about 7% and the rest, hydro and other misc. sources. Having more marginal cost electricity from natural gas that you can power up and down as needed will prevent the price spikes that have plagued this country.

[Counterpunch]

Wolf in sheeps clothing, read

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mario-solismarich/the-plan-behind-the-sotom_b_209106.html

This is only a game to Repugs.

[PrincipiaChamp]

you're right of course

[NoMoFearNoMoHate]

Typical Republican bait-and-switch.

They'll perform slander on her name nearly to a one and ONE or TWO under-leaderlings will come out and gently admonish and offer damning praise.

Nothing new in the GOP.

[sonvolt48]

Effusive Praise?

Who the hell writes these headlines? Sessions refused to disagree with Limbaugh, fercrissakes!

[nohamasmas]

Sonia is a done deal...can we start the torture trials now??

[dave1111]

Repubs will delay but not prevent, it's all they have left in the Senate.

[nohamasmas]

What does THAT have to do with torture trials??

[dphilip]

Not so fast there..we republicans have some pages from an old democrat playbook that we want to try out during the personal destruction....eerrr, we mean during the confirmation phase of the process..

[nohamasmas]

You win the award as Tro..ll of the month. Glad there's only about 27% of you in the voting population!

[robertlockwoodmills]

Sotomayor will be confirmed, and she should be. Identity politics is wrong, but she didn't invent the practice and shouldn't be held responsible for it.

[Stonybrooke2]

And as a Judge, she will promote it.

[Kache]

So does Scalia.

[KarelS]

As the king of affirmative action, Clarance Thomas, promotes ending affirmative action . . . now?

[pangurban]

OT nothing happening on the main. Pending are getting nowhere

[dphilip]

WE republicans can assure you that Sotomayor will get the same fair treatment that Justice Thomas received.

[nohamasmas]

The difference is ...she has been a judge for 17 years..Thomas was a judge for 19 MONTHS when GHW Bush nominated him as the MOST QUALIFIED IN AMERICA to be a Supreme Court Justice!!

[dave1111]

And destroy whatever little political capital you have left. Go ahead.

[nohamasmas]

He should have NEVER been confirmed...he is the most unqualified Justice nominated in the last 60 years!! He 's a Black man who hates Blacks...in the same way Sarah Palin is a woman who hates women!!

[KarelS]

I'd be much more relieved if you had said, "WE (sic) republicans (sic) can assure you that Sotomayor will get the same, fair treatment that opposing views to the war in Iraq, torture, wire-tapping and other criminal acts we instituted and supported got during the Bush years".

[FR]

False analogy, but we'll play along.
Well, he was confirmed without serious qualifications, other than being a token and a black conservative. Then she should sail through, since she is ... qualified.

[rich misty]

I clicked on that video... All I saw was a Republican with his lips moving.

[nohamasmas]

Then he was lying!