Yesterday was supposed to be the day Republican Senators took control of the debate on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. The Sunday shows were crawling with Republican Senators: GOP leader Mitch McConnell (KY), GOP Whip Jon Kyl (AZ), Senate campaign committee chair John Cornyn (TX), Ranking Repub. on Judiciary Jefferson Sessions, cheerleader Lindsey Graham and Senator/Gubernatorial candidate Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX).
That GOP crew was trying to take control of the messaging not from Democrats, but from the true leaders of their party, Rush and Newt, and a couple of other prominent haters in the party, like Tom Tancredo. But, it didn't quite work out that way, as Roll Call (the sub. req. "Newspaper of Capitol Hill"), reports. Mitch McConnell and his hapless band of GOP Senators spent their time talking about what Rush, Newt and the others said:
Republicans acknowledge that conservatives – particularly former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.), former Rep. Tom Tancredo (Colo.) and Rush Limbaugh – put the party in a difficult position with their accusations that Sotomayor is a “reverse racist” and with their attacks on the civil rights group La Raza.McConnell, who never misses an opportunity to police the speech of Democrats, won't challenge the racist language emanating from his allies. He looked really weak and spineless in his interview:
McConnell had hoped to use the Sunday talk show circuit to launch his Conference’s fight against Sotomayor with appearances on all the major talk shows by GOP leaders including McConnell, Minority Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Judiciary ranking member Jeff Sessions (Ala.), National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas), as well as Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.).
The plan was for Republicans to hit the airwaves with a preliminary set of concerns over Sotomayor’s record and with some of her public statements – and to keep the comments by conservative activists at a distance while not angering the party’s base.
Republicans also are keen to maintain at least the appearance of open-mindedness, and McConnell has pushed his members to not make statements prejudging her until the Senate is further along in the confirmation process.
Instead, McConnell and his colleagues spent significant time dealing with the controversy and having to distance themselves from the charges while not rejecting them outright.
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” McConnell refused to rebuke Limbaugh and other conservatives while also trying to make clear he did not support them. “It is certainly not my view … [but] I’ve got better things to do than be the speech police,” a clearly frustrated McConnell said.
Under McConnell's leadership, the GOP Senate caucus has shrunk from 55 members to only 40. This interview helps explain why.
