June 9, 2009 5:42 PM

GOP Objects To Sotomayor Hearing Date

By
Prerana Swami
Topics
Sonia Sotomayor
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
The Senate Judiciary Committee confirmed Tuesday that Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearing will begin July 13, and Republicans are none too happy about it.

The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Alabama senator Jeff Sessions, said today that the date is too early and does not give Republicans enough time to examine Sotomayor's record.

"I'm really a bit surprised," Sessions said, according to Politico. "I don't think our side has the time to do this right. ... That's a rushed time frame, and I don't think that's necessary."

As the Associated Press reports, GOP Leader Mitch McConnell accused Democrats of threatening Senate cooperation over the nominee by setting an impractical timetable.

"An arbitrary date on this nomination, when we're not clear yet how long it's going to take to work our way through her extensive record ... strikes me as not a good way to proceed," said McConnell.

And MSNBC reports that Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says that the GOP will not go along with Leahy's timetable because he believes it does not allow for enough time to go through Sotomayor's judicial record.

Democratic Committee Chairman Pat Leahy and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, meanwhile, expressed frustration that Senate Republicans expect more time to scrutinize Sotomayor. They noted that Chief Justice John Roberts was confirmed in a matter of 72 days.

"There's no reason this can't be done," Reid said, according to Politico. "If [Republicans] want to take more time than has ever been taken in the history of this country, then something is wrong."

But Grassley and other Republicans reject the comparison between Sotomayor and Roberts.

"She has 10 times as many decisions as Roberts did," Republican Sen. John Kyl said. "It takes a long time to go through that material. We'll simply have to wait and see how that review goes. I've checked and it's not going really fast. It's hard to do."

The Senate is expected to confirm Sotomayor by August 6, before Congress leaves for summer recess. It is anticipated that she will assume her responsibilities as Supreme Court Justice when Congress resumes in September, the Miami Herald reports.

Leahy suggested GOP complaints and stalling are reason enough to move as quickly as possible.

"There is no reason to unduly delay consideration of this well-qualified nominee," Leahy said. "Indeed, given the attacks on her character, there are compelling reasons to proceed even ahead of this schedule. It is not fair for her critics to be calling her racist without allowing her the opportunity to respond."

Additionally, Leahy said that with the resources available to senators, all of Sotomayor's writings could feasibly be read in time for the confirmation hearing, as the New York Times reports.

"We get paid a lot; we have huge staffs," he said. "If we can't do this work, if we can't get this done, then shame on us and shame on anyone who would delay it."

(Sotomayor is pictured above in a meeting with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 9, 2009. )

Add a Comment See all 54 Comments
by IrqWarVet June 10, 2009 3:44 PM EDT
The sooner the better, I mean, what with all those dumb white guys...we need someone really smart and victimized by life on the bench representing this fascist administration and down trodden liberals/progressives.
Reply to this comment
by truth-b-toll June 10, 2009 3:44 PM EDT
The party of NO says "WWAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" YOU ARE SO UNFAIR! WWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! CHOKE ON IT GOP!
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by jubalh June 10, 2009 2:53 PM EDT
Justice Oliver W. Holmes wrote "For Law to be Respected, it must be Respectable." We have the best government that money can buy. Our criminal justice system is aptly named: it is criminal to call it justice. Hitler's forces proved the value of the Blitzkrieg against their enemies. The enemies of the current administration are the taxpayers. So pushing everything through at warp speed makes sense. One more incompetent idiot can't hurt, right?
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by jubalh June 10, 2009 2:47 PM EDT
The blitzkrieg is a time honored method of destroying an enemy. The greatest enemy to the current administration is the American Public. In pushing a Marxist agenda, one can expect the current administration to push everything as fast as possible, in the hopes that the citizens will not have time to object or react.
Reply to this comment
by Rick007 June 10, 2009 1:46 PM EDT
They have to get Soto in so she can block any attempt to get his BC opened!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply to this comment
by mattcat25 June 10, 2009 1:17 PM EDT
The right wing is out in force to obstruct the inevitable nomination of Judge Sotomayor.
This particular nomination will replace one moderate vote with a moderate vote.

All the ranting and fear mongering jested by right wingers obviously frustrated with the failure of the Conservative Party is all for not because just like the last two previous seats appointed by George W. Bush will ultimately come down to an UP or DOWN VOTE!

Get over it.
Reply to this comment
by mattcat25 June 10, 2009 12:58 PM EDT
Someone on this site said "up or down just vote"- this is someone who is not interested in facts, stances, opinions of a very powerful appointee and will deserve the misery coming from the current policies of taking from achievers/producers and giving to nonproducers. It is wrong to take from a man's accomplishments and redistribute to the nonproducers.
Posted by LibertyCBS at 9:22 AM : Jun 10, 2009


UPPERDOWN!
UPPERDOWN!
UPPERDOWN!
UPPERDOWN!
Reply to this comment
by kevindc1969 June 10, 2009 12:27 PM EDT
This is a complete non-story. The average length of time between a nomination and the start of hearings for the justices on the bench now is 45 days. Sotomayer is being given 48 days. Where's the story? The story should be that the Republicans are grasping at every straw they can. I truly wish they would stop with this inanity and actually do their jobs. They are such children.
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by LibertyCBS June 10, 2009 12:22 PM EDT
Someone on this site said "up or down just vote"- this is someone who is not interested in facts, stances, opinions of a very powerful appointee and will deserve the misery coming from the current policies of taking from achievers/producers and giving to nonproducers. It is wrong to take from a man's accomplishments and redistribute to the nonproducers. A man has a right to the products of his hard work wtihout the parasitic looters redistributing it for their gain. We have been taught by government schools and the media that is is good to "share the wealth" but I reject the notion that leaches should feed off the hardwork of those that achieve. In fact it is morally corrupt to take the fruits of labor from hardworkers. I deferred gains for high level of education and worked very hard to produce and now the direction of this country causes me to rethink why i should produce when the government looters can take my products of accomplishment by force. I don't use the roads or schools anymore (actually must less as no children) than my less hardworking neighbor so how is it fair that i pay more and work harder? (including weekends). Tell me, HOW IS THAT FAIR? I will stop producing (the same result as all past socialist experiments have ended) and then my less hard working leech neighbor will starve.
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by Freedom_isnt_Free June 10, 2009 11:47 AM EDT
Obama wants to rush this nomination/confirmation before the American citizenry truly finds out about her and her views! This is nothing new. This has been the tactic used for all his questionable decisions. The media is also complicit in this tactic!
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