Sessions Becomes The Subject Of Sotomayor Hearings

The confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor have become, in a small but significant way, a referendum on the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Jeff Sessions, the Alabama Republican who took over the post from Pennsylvania Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter, is under intense pressure to land blows on Sotomayor without offending Hispanic voters. It's a tough task, made all the more difficult by Sessions' history of racially insensitive positions and statements.

So far the results have been mixed. Over at Fox News, host Chris Wallace and his co-panelist applauded the Alabaman for his questioning of Sotomayor, in which he honed in on her past statements about race and her role in Ricci v. DeStefano (the New Haven firefighter case). While other GOPers (notably Utah Sen. Orin Hatch) got stuck in the legal weeds, Sessions tried to draw blood, the Fox panel argued.

But Democrats both in and out of government say that is exactly the type of posture they want.

"Sessions spent 30 minutes talking about lines in speeches taken out of context, instead of her 17 years on the bench," said one Democratic operative working on the Sotomayor confirmation. "When Judge Sotomayor tried to reference her work as a judge and her fidelity to the law in her more than 3000 judicial opinions, Sen. Sessions ignored her answers. In fact, in his 30 minutes of questioning, after spending weeks supposedly reviewing her judicial record, Sen. Sessions could only manage to mention one of her actual decisions as a judge."

Certainly, the image of a white southern senator pressing a Hispanic judge on topics of affirmative action carries racial implications that progressives don't mind addressing. Ian Millhiser, a Legal Research Analyst with the Democratic-leaning Center for American Progress Action Fund, told the Huffington Post that he was "flabbergasted that conservatives picked someone with a long history of race-based attacks as their point person on the Sotomayor hearing."

In some respects, Sessions' questioning has already become the defining feature of Tuesday's hearing. As CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin argued on air: "What's worth noting about what Jeff Sessions -- the line of questioning, was that being a white man, that's normal. Everybody else has biases and prejudices ... but the white man, they don't have any ethnicity, they don't have any gender, they're just like the normal folks, and I thought that was a little jarring."

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Comments

[natchez]

EMAILED 7/15, 2009
Sen. Jeff Sessions email address:
http://sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ConstituentServices.ContactMe

Dear Sen. Sessions:
I am horrified by the blatant racism and bigotry continuously seen at the Sotomayer Hearings yesterday.
I am very disappointed in the way you are representing the Republican party. I have great apprehension in light of recent events in our country. Cheney, Bush, John Ashcroft , Donald Rumsfeldt , and company, “The Family”, Palin, Gov. Ensign, Gov. Rick Perry, Governor Mark Sanford, Sen. John Ensign, Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Pat Buchanan to name a few, are trying to pull together a new right wing Christian coalition for the Republican Party. My concerns are the people that our coming out of the woodwork are showing more and more intolerance, more and more overt racism, more stupidity in their arguments, and little to no practice of true Christian doctines. I am very disappointed in the way you are representing your country and your State of Alabama.
Yours truly,
An Independant Voter

[frmme2u]

One must wonder what these Senators do when on all of these vacations they take from their work? They certainly don't get out and read the people. The "lets just say not" mentality of Sessions, Graham, Cornyn et al, not surprisingly saying exactly the same words (as delivered to them) are so yesterday. Lets just tell them to stay on vacation.

[GreatTruthsSeeker]

Her credentials are impeccable. Her life experiences have shaped her perspective of reality, like anyone else. She will get what both she and we deserve, confirmation.

The Republicans’ perspective of reality has also been shaped by their life experiences. Their perception of reality includes a strong sense of self-entitlement, as evidenced by their history and their coarse, sometimes inappropriate questioning in this process. They usually move towards their goals while ignoring the rights, values, beliefs, and feelings of others. It’s called concupiscent behavior, or lust.

Lustful behavior that negatively affects others can be explained by examining a concept called “Thinking Errors”. If you want to know more about why they think like they do, please Google this and you will find over thirty one million search results.

It amazes me that they gravitate towards Sarah Palin and attack Sonia Sotomayor. Some of them have been moving away from supporting Palin lately. They see the writing on the wall. If, when, she moves to create a third party, they will all be stuck with silver Sarah spoons in their mouths.

[burt2009]

Sotomayer must be a card carrying member of the liar's club.

[lobear00]

No' that would be the "Snakes" of bush, cheny, the republican senator's along with the party itself. It's truly sad when "Gulliable " people don't have the sense to see the falsehoods of others in your own party.

[burt2009]

Watch out for the lightening!

[goodtomeetyou]

Republican Sen. Cornyn from TX is asking Judge Sotomayor the “wise latina” question again!

They are tone dea.th.

[looneybin]

or perhaps she hasn't explained it?
of course her brushing it off as just an inspiration to her audience is a perfectly acceptable answer, but perhaps the rest of us want a real answer

[lobear00]

She truly gave the answer and them some, but those on the right just can't comprehend a mind far superior than the one's asking the ignorant question.

[Horus45]

Pay Attention!
She answered with nothing but the truth.

[bruster55]

Apparently conservatives do not know how to listen.

[vincereardon]

In Senator Sessions you're seeing the current face of the Republican Party, the once proud Party of Lincoln, and it's not a pretty sight. There's not a Hispanic in America who watched Sessions' performance "questioning" Judge Sotomayor who doesn't feel angry. Fortunately, Sotomayor is made of strong stuff and will prevail.

[IssuesInFocus]

I am just flabergasted by all of this, not to mention the 'tone' used. This was a party that I once thought honestly had room for a 'big tent" and appreciates those who work hard and pull themselves up by the bootstraps.
From all the toxcity coming from the right and Steele's dumb remarks on Blacks and fried chicken, I cannot see how the GOP increases its numbers in the future. Nothing about all that I'm seeing/hearing -- makes sense. In the name of " progress," I am sadly disappointed.

[RadicalRepublican]

The name is the only thing they have in common with Lincoln!

[BenNC]

right
Lincoln was a whig.

[OG]

With all the great white decession makers we have in this country is now fair to blame them for the housing and financial mess! I think it is time to have a more fair bais outlook for the future of this country. I strongly agree with her point which was taken out of content that a latino WOMEN could make a better decession then a old white man whose heart is filled with greed and selfishness, they have no social conscience, and no social obligation to mankind!

[embarc]

Sessions is my choice for the unnamed GOP senator with his hand on David Brooks' inner thigh.

[RIConservative]

What a ridiculous article. I have never seen so blatant an attempt to silence a group in my life. You act as if a 'White man" has no right to ask questions, especially if they have anything to do with race. You are calling this man out for actually asking proper questions. Does Sotomayor make decisions based on the race of the parties involved? I think it is a very important question, and yet since the Alabama Republican is a white man, you act as if he has no right to speak at all.
"How dare a white man ask a Latina women a legitimate question?"

The sad thing is how bad that racism is present in the liberal way of thinking. When I watch that I simply see a politician questioning a would-be Supreme Court Justice about her decision making. Basically doing what the people of his State hired him to do. You lefties see a White Man, A Minority woman, a history of racism, undertones of racism, the evil oppressive white race.....

Get over it already, your ridiculous white guilt or minority victimhood only serves to perpetuate racism. Stop looking at everyone as a race, color, or sex and start seeing them as people. Finally stop calling everyone else a racist when it is you who keeps racism alive.

[Temblor]

Since you are completely uneducated, let me help you out. Sessions failed in his attempt to become a federal judge largely because of racially charged statements he made. Facts are very stubborn .....

[setman]

I might agree with you on this remark, except for one thing. If Sessions, Kyl, and Cornyn were so concerned about the fairness of judicial decisions with regards to the nominees racial belief, where were these type of questions during the confirmation hearings of Roberts and Alito? There were no such questions by these Republican senators, because a judicial decision skewed towards the white upper class is something they would gladly accept. The fact of the matter is her resume is much more impressive than either Roberts or Alito. Conservative pundits have criticized her intelligence, they have criticized her ethnicity, they have criticized her speeches, but the one thing that they seem to be unable to touch is her job performance. The Republican party is still bent out of shape over the Bork hearings.

[ReMarker]

Sessions, Kyl, Graham, and the other white male Republican questioners have the same mentality and distructive intent as their southern ancestors that were willing to have a civil war instead of evolving with the tenants of our Constitution and the realities of society.

[NoelGreco]

"Sessions, Kyl, Graham, and the other white male Republican questioners have the same mentality and distructive [sic] intent as their southern ancestors that [sic] were willing to have a civil war instead of evolving with the tenants [sic] of our Constitution and the realities of society."

Please take an English class.

Sotomayor can say anything at all, but white man from the south should shut up because of slavery?

Take a logic course, while you're at it.

[Steve T]

You are right, she can't say whatever she wants BUT this is coming for Sessions who is known to make notorious racial insensitive comments, it is just disingenuous. And let's not forget that she has been a judge for 17 years, presided and judged thousands of cases and all he could focus on was one case and out-of-context lines! what you need to really get to is whether he can find a pattern of "racism" is her thousands of cases. If she was really a racist he should have been able to find dozens if not hundreds of well documented instances in cases were she exhibited that behavior. Taking isolated and out-of-context lines from candid presentations she made to students is just a witch hunt.

[davkaman]

Errors in spelling and grammar notwithstanding, I understand ReMarker's argument to be that it is hard to take moral instruction from the likes of Jeff (as in "Jefferson," as in "Davis?" ) Sessions, at least as far as the history of racial prejudice and discrimination in this country are concerned. Sen. Sessions has a less than distinguished record in that regard.
I find this rather akin to the moral posturing of Sanford and Ensign.
Please.

[JFaye]

What Sessions does not get (I guess) is that there is a well-chronicled history of old white men (and many young) in these United States who believe just because of their race they make better decisions. He should have at least one aide with the courage to say "Mr. Sessions, it is more commonly known as racism." Perhaps then, this iconic relic from the past who is providing the world a view that racial prejudice and bigotry is still all to common in our country, would cease badgering the judge. More tragically, he is reinforcing the great racial divide across every region ... not just reinforcing or reflecting southern views.

It appears that as many major corporations across the country stage workshops on race relations to improve human relations ... thus productivity, Congress could use some workshops as well.

I have a wonderful respect for Justice Sotomayor's temperament: Challenging questions, I would expect ... ridiculous queries test my patience with stupidity. She is passing both.

[Tuckerndfw]

I was born & raised in Texas when "coloreds" were not allowed to use "white" facilities.

Mexicans were never considered "colored." Nor are they are a race of any kind. They are considered "white."

I never attended a public school with a "colored" person, but I attended public schools with lots of Mexicans. (aka "hispanics" or "latinos")

Puerto Ricans are not a race, nor are latinos or "hispanics."

[scottowego]

I agree. I never considered Hispanics nor Latinos to be "colored". The whole concept of labels according to skin color needs to be dumped. I keep hoping we will move beyond that.

[Tuckerndfw]

Actually, I thought we had in terms of public debate, politics & the media.

Apparently not.

My ancestry is widely varied and includes a Cherokee grandmother. One of my other grandmothers was reportedly "Jewish." Lord only knows where the rest of them came from, probably Africa.

Racists apparently refuse to give up their cause celebre and go quietly into the night.

The media appears to love stirring up unnecessary controversy by using incorrect labels & titles.

[OG]

your point is!

[Tuckerndfw]

My point is that hispanics are not a race and have never been discriminated against as public policy.

[Thelma Brown]

There are three races of people: Caucoid, Mongoloid (e.g. Asian, Native Americans, East Indians) and Negroid. There are black "Hispanics" and Latinoes, e.g. Roberto Clemente, Manny Ramirez, etc.). Similarly, not all Mexicans are white, some are Indian and therefore, "Mongoloid."

[Tuckerndfw]

There is no such thing as race. I only use the word because racists & the media use the word to incite unnecessary controversy.

There is only one race, the human race.

[IssuesInFocus]

Mexicans who are mixed with Indians as --of those in Peru and other countries in South America and Central America-- called white? My history and geography teachers apparently did a poor job educating me on that.

[Tuckerndfw]

In terms of the law and public policy, Mexicans are and were considered "white."

Back in the good old days (sarcasm) of legal discrimination based on race, there were only four races: caucasian, negroid, mongoloid and asian.

There is and was no such thing as an "hispanic" or "latin" race.

Skin color did not determine "race." Race relied on bone structure & unalterable physical characteristics a person was born with. Hispanics include all kinds of people, white, brown, black, orange, pink, purplish, etc. And, you cannot tell a person is hispanic by looking at him or her.

But, race does not exist in the first place so it is a stupid, time wasting argument.

Racists refuse to give up their mythology.

[dmyron]

Yet another divisive wedge driver hammering away .

[LMG]

...and the racist South will rise again.....the only ones left -the neo-cons.... against all people who are not old white men.

[happy1234]

Knowing Sessions' long history regarding race, I was not surprised by his questions. Even though in 2009, race should not be an issue, yet GOP Senators like Sessions have made it an issue. It is a shame. If I were a Republican, I would be embarrassed by these ignorant and idiotic GOP clowns.

Plus, I guess, Sessions is still holding grudge for not getting the Federal Judge appointment in 1986 when his nomination was killed in the Senate Judiciary Committee owing to his history on race and the comments he had made in the past!!! To see him in the Judiciary Committee and asking Sotomayor the kind of questions he was asking is a joke!!!