June 2, 2009 7:01 PM
- Text
Graham: "Bullying" Sotomayor Should Apologize
Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a senior Republican on the Judiciary committee which will likely confirm Supreme Court hopeful Sonia Sotomayor this summer, harshly criticized the nominee's 2001 remarks that a Latina would make "better" decisions than a white man.
"That statement did not strike me particularly appropriate," the senator told CBS News' Political Consultant John Dickerson Tuesday, ahead of his meeting with the nominee.
"As a matter of fact, I thought it was inappropriate," he said. "I think she deserves a second chance [but] I don't know if I would have gotten one."
The senator, in the most damning words yet from a senator, said he will not be basing his entire decision on the remarks but thinks Sotomayor should apologize.
"I think it needs to be addressed and...she needs to apologize because it offended me," he admitted to Dickerson.
Graham said that as a white male he has been "knocked around" but conceded that other Americans have been through "far worse."
"To say those experiences make one better, a person better than anyone else is just not what you want in a judge," he argued.
Graham said, "[I]f I find myself in court, I want to believe that that judge is going to fairly evaluate me and quite frankly she's got to convince me if I found myself in litigation with a Latina woman, that I'd get a fair shake."
Dickerson bluntly asked the senator if he thinks he will get an apology Wednesday in his one-on-one meeting with Sotomayor.
"I'll leave that up to her," Graham responded.
He said he wants a judge to receive good marks from the lawyers with whom they have worked.
"I don't like bully judges and her evaluations from those who have appeared before her are troubling. She seems at times arrogant and bullying," he said.
The senator assured Dickerson that he will bring up not so glowing evaluations from lawyers in their meeting.
Check out the interview below:
"That statement did not strike me particularly appropriate," the senator told CBS News' Political Consultant John Dickerson Tuesday, ahead of his meeting with the nominee.
"As a matter of fact, I thought it was inappropriate," he said. "I think she deserves a second chance [but] I don't know if I would have gotten one."
The senator, in the most damning words yet from a senator, said he will not be basing his entire decision on the remarks but thinks Sotomayor should apologize.
"I think it needs to be addressed and...she needs to apologize because it offended me," he admitted to Dickerson.
Graham said that as a white male he has been "knocked around" but conceded that other Americans have been through "far worse."
"To say those experiences make one better, a person better than anyone else is just not what you want in a judge," he argued.
Graham said, "[I]f I find myself in court, I want to believe that that judge is going to fairly evaluate me and quite frankly she's got to convince me if I found myself in litigation with a Latina woman, that I'd get a fair shake."
Dickerson bluntly asked the senator if he thinks he will get an apology Wednesday in his one-on-one meeting with Sotomayor.
"I'll leave that up to her," Graham responded.
He said he wants a judge to receive good marks from the lawyers with whom they have worked.
"I don't like bully judges and her evaluations from those who have appeared before her are troubling. She seems at times arrogant and bullying," he said.
The senator assured Dickerson that he will bring up not so glowing evaluations from lawyers in their meeting.
Check out the interview below:
Popular Now in Politics
- Timothy Dolan: Birth control tweak a "first step"
- CPAC: Santorum rips Romney, rouses conservatives
- Archbishop Dolan urges Obama to back down on birth control
- CPAC: Will Sarah Palin spring a surprise?
- After uproar, Obama tweaks birth control rule
- Santorum: Women could bring "emotions" to combat
- Ann Coulter riles up the CPAC crowd
- STOCK Act passes in House
- Romney takes on hecklers at Maine town hall
- Obama to announce revamp of birth control policy
- Santorum's big benefactor
- Former Giffords aide to run for her House seat
- CPAC: Huckabee "thanks" Obama for birth control firestorm
- Romney says his conservatism will shine
- Report: Chicago cardinal joins contraceptives fight
- Occupy protestors kicked out of CPAC
- Is Rick Santorum conservatives' last, best hope?
Latest CBS News Headlines
on Facebook
on CBS News
- Was Abe Lincoln really a vampire hunter?
- Pardoned Moroccan clerics say they were tortured
- Hacker claims porn site users compromised
- Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood wants government sacked
on Facebook
- Adele sings a cappella for Anderson Cooper
- Beyonce and Jay-Z post first photos of Blue Ivy Carter
- Occupy protestors kicked out of CPAC
on CBS News
