Lugar Becomes First Republican To Announce Vote For Sotomayor

Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court seemed relatively pre-ordained following four days of somewhat news-less testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Now, it seems, the one question remaining will be how many Republican senators will offer their support.

On Friday morning, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) became the first, releasing a statement of support for President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee.

"I have listened to the testimony of Judge Sonia Sotomayor before the Senate Judiciary Committee, carefully reviewed her public service record, and reviewed recommendations from Indiana constituents and colleagues here in the Senate," said Lugar. "Judge Sotomayor is clearly qualified to serve on the Supreme Court and she has demonstrated a judicial temperament during her week-long nomination hearing. Judge Sotomayor has had a distinguished career of public service. She is well regarded in the legal community and by her peers. I will vote to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States."

Lugar does not sit on the Judiciary Committee, so his vote will only matter once Sotomayor's nomination is voted out of that committee. That, however, should not be much of a hurdle for the Court nominee as Democrats hold a large majority there, and some Republicans on the committee -- namely Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) -- have indicated that they will support Sotomayor.

UPDATE: Two more Republican Senators have said they will support Sotomayor: Sen. Mel Martinez, R-FL, and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine,

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Comments

[hollyhund]

Thanks Sen. Lugar! I think MY Sen Cornyn will also vote for her! If not. he'll have a LOT of 'splaining to do here in TEJAS!!

[PKatherine]

Cornyn is your senator. eek.

[John Gotsch]

Am I too optimistic. but I am expecting Sessions, Graham, Hatch, Grassley, Kyl, Corornyn and Brownback to pony up too. If the GOP is to use the Sotomayor
"standard" in future nomination hearings then they have to demonstrate some
commitment to it.
This is how these nutcakes are liable to surprise us.

[apoyo]

The republicans don't deserve a man like Sen Lugar. A man of principle.

[puzzle49]

Thank you, Senator Lugar, from South Bend, IN.

May others in your party follow your lead in reason and spirit.

[lazercat2008]

....off a cliff.

[RZoroaster]

I can't tell if you're indicating that Judge Sotomayor's confirmation leads us off a cliff or if you're just wishing harm on the Republican party but either way this was pretty funny.

[babyboomerorig]

From me, too...form­erly from Valparaiso.

When Sen. Lugar first began his political career, I played piano for some of his rallies to accompany a friend of mine who sang. Through the years I've agreed and disagreed with him, but always respected him. It's just too bad he's a moderate Republican because now the rest of the senate ignores his rasonable approach to things.

Maybe he's distanced himself from them...

[mnmoderate]

This helps the GOP look more reasonable. See how the Axis of Reason views it in light of Palin flameout:
http://axisofreason.com/2009/07/15/palin-sotomayor-and-the-politics-of-victimhood/

[lazercat2008]

It's reasonable, it's called self preservation.

[bdl0715]

I think she will get Graham and Hatch's votes on the Judiciary Committee. I am not sure about any of the other members of the committee.

[KoolAidAmerica]

No Republican except for those from Alabama or MS can afford to vote against Sotomayor. She is Latina.
However qualified or unqualified she may be that is the main criteria. If this was a white woman they could have voted for / against her based on her merits. They can't against a Latina. The same as Burris getting seated into the senate in spite of all Democrats in the senate saying that they won't accept a nom by Blago. Its identity politics.

[weatherwaxx]

Kool-aid is about your level of reasoning. The Jonestown variety.

[proudcalib]

Obama has really tied the Republicans in knots over this one. They'd like to oppose her, but she has the requisite experience, and they'd be fools to antagonize Hispanic voters again (although never underestimate their ability to self-destruct).

Obama reminds me of Bill Clinton in that respect: the Republicans despise him, but they can never get the best of him politically.

[cubs325]

thank you for your common sense and fair mindedness

you can disagree with her lib-conserv position in the universe, you can disagree with some of her ideas

but it is Obama's choice (one of the rewards of winning) and unless you really think she is unqualified - you should approve her

even if you would not choose her

[scorpioleidy]

Thanks. D!ck.

[cjk002]

1 down, 39 Republicans to go...

[Michaela1976]

I don't think they will get many Republican votes. If they do then their accusations during the hearings prove they are hypocrites

[rabiddog6708]

No one really believed that Sotomayor would not be confirmed. Not even the repubs.

[mimspoot]

Yahoo! She is more than qualified to serve on the SC. I just LOVE her!

[jubei]

Iam a big fan of Lugar and Hagel,america needs more men like them!!

[lazercat2008]

Wha>>>????

[jubei]

Lazercat you misunderstood what I was saying what I meant was we need more honorable men like Richard Lugar and Chuck Hagel now I disagree with them on some of their policies but both of them are some highly intelligent guys and both of them are mentors to Pres.Obama on foreign policy!!

[lazercat2008]

Yes, we certainly need more Lugars.

Voted NO on paying down federal debt by rating programs' effectiveness. (Mar 2007)

Voted YES on 1998 GOP budget. (May 1997)

Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)

Voted YES on loosening restrictions on cell phone wiretapping. (Oct 2001)

Voted YES on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business. (Oct 1997)

Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)

Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)

Voted NO on repealing tax subsidy for companies which move US jobs offshore. (Mar 2005)

Rated 0% by the AFL-CIO, indicating an anti-union voting record. (Dec 2003)

Rated 0% by the AU, indicating opposition to church-state separation. (Dec 2006)

Rated 0% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record. (Dec 2003)

Voted NO on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million. (Mar 2008)

[rigormrtis]

You can cherry pick stats like that for every senator...­..

[laminators]

Keep 'em rolling

[lazercat2008]

Get the real deal on Lugar.

http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Richard_Lugar.htm

[realist2008]

Whats not to love about Sotomayer for a Republican or ultra right conservative? We're talking creating an idealogical cabal of Roman Catholics on SCOTUS. We already have 6, now 7. Wow. and history has shown us that "once a catholic, always a catholic" and the closer governmental catholics come to the great beyond, the more conservative they become and the more likely they will overturn "liberal" policies. This tradition goes back several thousand years. There is not a practicing catholic that cannot be bought with the fear of losing extreme unction on their deathbed. Ask Louis the 14th and his revocation of the Edict of Nantes on his deathbed. 1.3 million Hugenots murdered and Catholicism became the official religion to the exclusion of all others. I regret that I cannot support Sotomayer on that ground alone. And no, nothing has changed in your basic catholic doctrine since then. Good bye separation of church and state.

[dwilkerson]

Wow, so your idea of the "separation of church and state" involves imposing a religious test on judicial nominees? You evidently have no understanding of what the phrase actually means.

[rbrinega]

Richard Lugar is one of the few thoughtful conservatives in public office today.

[Bitsko]

Not thoughtful enough to vote for the regular people in this country. He talks the talk, but he doesn't walk the walk.

[lazercat2008]

Votes with big business 95% of the time.

[lazercat2008]

Voted YES on drilling ANWR on national security grounds. (Apr 2002)

Voted YES on $75M for abstinence education. (Jul 1996)

Rated 96% by the US COC, indicating a pro-business voting record. (Dec 2003)

Voted NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)

Rated 0% by the ACLU, indicating an anti-civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)

Voted NO on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005)

[lazercat2008]

Votes with the Christian Coalition 100% of the time.