CNN

Too late Newt, you and Limbaugh have already started this hate campaign. So your apology is very meaningless at this point.

Yet, CNN was instrumental in giving Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh credibility by running their comments 24/7 as if they were fact and once again failing to do their homework in doing some research. They let Republican talking heads and so called journalists like Lou Dobbs wax on with their racism charges unchallenged.

The criticism continues with the ridiculous blog above about Sotomayor justifiably not being able to remember the people she would be meeting with.

It isn't just Newt Gingrich that is losing credibility here from a media source which thrives on speculation and joining in on character assassination. CNN also owes the Judge and its listeners an apology.

When is Lindsay Graham going to walk away from his demand for an apology??

The GOP needs to purge the likes of Newt and Rush from their party if they ever think that party will amount to anything. The writing is on the wall, people are tired of the dog and pony show the so call Republican hardliners like to pull. It is time for clear intelligent leadership that understands its okay to disagree, but lets find the middle ground and move from there. But, oh no these bozos have this it's my way or the highway mentality. The best thing the GOP can do is purge all these idiots from your party!!!

PEWT had NO FACTS to support his claim, he sounded more like the Racist more so than the person he was accusing. Sotomayor record doesn't not support his claim! All the people that JUMP on this bandwagon shows that American people can be easily lead by the MEDIA HYPE? Fact dis spells all LIES...........................................

"An apology from Newt? And one that contains a string of thoughts too long to Twitter? How can that be?"

LOL!! Isn't that hilarious? He id what I did, but mines work, LOL!!! Ohh my lord...

To tell you the truth, it ain't really no big deal, is very early and is not like she is abhor by everybody. Just take it slow, that's all.

Hey Gloria, have you been seen the Classic Adventures of James and Karl, Live on Broadway yet? LOL!!! I just had to, I just had to...

Get a clue, peeps. This 'apology' is just more posturing.

Ol' Newt ain't sorry. Since when has he ever apologized for anything in the public eye?

The so-called 'apology' is only because Newt's been told his mouth is becoming a liability and a distraction to the higher ups in the GOP.

Gingrich withdrew his statement because he lives his life in the public eye. He’s just another typical Republican bully turned cowardly scum when he actually had to back up his statement.

And with that, Gingrich killed his chances at a presidential nomination.

Obama clinched his election victory when the polls closed on the west coast, whose states have large hispanic populations. Those same voters will not be very supportive of a party who unjustly characterizes hispanic politcal figures as racist.

Translation: Now that i've told everyone how I really feel and I see how it damages my party – um... I would like to take it back! In fact I take back anything i've said that has hurt my party. I'm really not sorry though. Is that good enough RNC?

Well well, the rest of the Republican party actually criticized Newt and his fat friend, Rush? Good! They deserve it for their running their mouths off with the verbal diarrhea of hatred and divisiveness. Newt needs to find a real job such as handing out balloons at WalMart. Rush is an idiot and his employer is an idiot also.

Borger is not fit to shine Newt's shoes–she would rather be in Cairo bowing with Obama and the state-run media.

Bolger is becoming the mouth piece for republicans just like Candy cowley...
Watchout for these people on tv
Anderson cooper
John King and his wife Dana Bash
Candy Cowley
David Gergnen
Lou dobbs and
Ed henry.....They are all republicans talking heads!

Why? Because it wasn't WORKING. Duh. If they were getting any traction with this laughable line of attack, believe me, they wouldn't be softening it.

He was right, as her comments were spoken from her heart and her comments where racist. There is zero doubt that a white person making the same sort of comment would be run out of town, with no apologies.

newt and linbauh are cut of the same cloth it they want to help the republicns, they should keep their mouths shut.

On the contrary, Newt. Keep talking. The GOP can't be buried and forgotten fast enough....What happened to those great videos of the Palin’s Slack Jaw supporters? Are there any new ones? Thanks to real time global news, the world was laughing at those backwoods redneck idiots…!

I'd hardly qualify that as an apology. It's an evasion tactic he uses to still look 'hardline' and yet not undermine the more vulnerable members of his party. He is nothing but a coward. He is not holding office, so he spends his spare time running for president, calling the media every time he has an opinion about something, just to stay in headlines.

Newt should have known better, he's got his own set of issues that will never be resolved. How could Newt have possibly think that calling Sotomayor a racist would gain him favoritism among anybody by creating such an embarrassment for himself. This guy isn't too smart.

Why were the facts about her record stuffed in at the end? This type of info could and should be an article in itself.

GOP, Soto... did not rule that the white racist firfighters should not get their promotion, she ruled that the city has the right to toss a test. To do otherwise would have been to legislate from the bench, and we know how you feel about that.

"Is calling her names our best talking point?" asks GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio.

Um, yes, actually, it is. Otherwise, we'd be talking about something else right now.

Newt probably figured that by calling someone a racist as if it were a bad thing, he would be alienating that faction of the Republican party which "people" such as Limbaugh, Hannity, and himself ratain as their raving fans.

No actual Conservative would ever take Limbaugh-Hannity-Gingrich seriously. We must remember, "Conservative" doesn't mean throwing away every single principle the Republican Party has ever stood for, while being *for* religious zealotry in government.

who cares,this man and people like mit romney need to get jobs!! I am sick to death of the media paying attention to these completely irrelivant morons!!! They will neither one EVER be president, and the way they bash him for even breathing is plane stupid!!! Romey is a coward, his sons are cowards, his granfather is a polyigamist who married a 17 year old when he was in his 40's and newt is a bitter old white racist!

Ah Phooey! Newt just took a page out the liberal playbook, with one exception, he apologized! Remember when Steele won the leadership of the RNC? It was Uncle Tom this and Token that! It was Obama wannabe and all of that junk! Why is it permissable when liberals do it but hateful speech when conservatives do it and vise versa??? It is the SAME THING!! Personally , it is disgraceful when anybody does it! The hypocracy on both sides has caused both sides to lose credibility. Surely a "progressive" somewhere can agree!!!

I know many Democrats wont agree, but I don't change my beliefs just because the person in question is of a minority. Anyone that gives preferential treatment based on someone's race is a racist in my book.

"And then there's this: Instead of throwing around terms like "judicial activist," why not actually examine her record and look for things that might have some real meaning for the American people? "

Because that takes too much time, thought and education. Besides, the media will print whatever they say and give it equal shrift no matter how insane, ridiculous and meritless the statements are because all the media is concerned with is hyping a controversy to secure viewers and thereby justify advertising prices. It doesn't secure viewers and justify advertising prices to either (a) ignore total crap like this or (b) run a story that says quite clearly "Side A took a reasonable position while Side B has jumped off the deep and and acted like an angry macaque flinging feces." Personally, as much as I agree with your article Mr. Borger, I think a little introspection and soul searching on the part of the media might lead you guys to the conclusion that you bear a large part of the responsibility for encouraging behavior like Newt's and the GOP's in general. Recognize that the damage to society is more important than the network's bottom line for once.

What's with the phrasing "they look ugly"? They ARE ugly–literally and spiritually.

Was wondering if they were going to get enough of the meaness of Rush and Newts comments,The two of them seem to forget we are all part of the human race and also live on the same planet.Peace is alot better then hate and war.Though i doubt those two will learn.

Gary's comment is:

Mr. Newt Gingrich, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh have done more
to tear down the Republican party than any other factor. I call them the
"Three Stooges" because any time they see a way to spread hate and
mis-information and negitive press they do so, long before they have
all the facts, so Mr. Gingrich's remarks are just a part of the way they
do business, no facts just words that hurt others and further their position.

I think Newt Gingrich needs to get a life away from the news and information business, and the Republican party needs to tell all these
guys to just "Shut Up" and come up with good ideas to re-build the
Repbublican party, not tear it down further.

Gingrich and
Linbaugh have nothing else to resort to but slander and name calling. They are an embarassment to their own party and the best defense we have against right-wing conservatives. Keep up the good work guys and maybe you can damage the GOP past the point of any return.

Good article, Gloria. Newt finally showing more intelligence than the amphibian for which he is named.

What a concept, let's look at the facts and look at her actual record. Why didn't they think of that before? Oh yeah, it was Newt and Rush. I am glad I am not a Republican!

Because he realized he was a big, fat hypocrite

Ugh!! Why can't these guys just keep their mouths shut!?

He did so only because of the outcry from republicans who have some common sense and aren't trying to totally divide the country. Also because of all the racist rhetoric that is spewed from the likes of Rush Limbaugh every day. Gingrich is an old republican fool that assumes that Americans are dumber than dirt. He is only hurting the republican party more and more every time he opens his big mouth.

Once the Bullet leaves the Weapon, it is very hard to get it back.

Once the Words leave the Mouth, it is very hard to take it back. Moreover the first words always reflect the true intention of the person. Later words amount to an afterthought.

Damage is already done. (Damage to Republican Party's reputation)

As if the term "Southern strategy" didn't ALREADY make the GOP looked "ugly"???? Talk about living in their own world...

They never even gave this brilliant woman a chance, the republicans showed their true colors by lambasting her as a racists. Pot, meet kettle...

the so called learned carry on as every day people

Four times? Is that a legal activist? A reverse racist? A racist? Or even an extremist? Hardly.
_______________________________________________________
Right you are Gloria! Thank you for your intelligent commentary! The Republicans do not realize the damage they are doing by calling Judge Sotomayor a racist! When you listen to the comments Judge Alito made about his ethnicity during his hearings, one has to wonder why the Republicans are so upset!

The fact is that there is racism, that women are still less-than-men, that minorities are discriminated against! And when our laws attempt to correct the wrongs of the past, the majority shouts ..... foul!

So it's okay for Newt to backtrack his comments, but not Judge Sotomayor, or maybe a little common sense it starting to sink into the republicans.

Thanks Gloria for your thoughtful perspective. Note to Newt: just shut up.

Yes, it seems like Newt and Rush got into a lot of trouble for acting like democrats.

JPC June 3rd, 2009 10:02 am ET wrote:

Newt made a "poor choice of words"….Sotomayor made a "poor choice of words"…..and the difference IS………

The difference is on "poor choice of words" was a snippet taken out of context from a 4k+ word speech. The other was a political opportunist going on the attack without having all the facts. The backpedaling confirms it.

I can say the same thing,This is amazing, Judge Sonia Sotomayor has been a judge for many years one line from 2001speech, Gingrich and conservative host Rush Limbaugh called Sotomayor's racially divisive remarks. Now when Judge Sotomayor "said the statement was a bad choice word" move on, Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh said Judge Sotomayor is a racist judge then Gingrich change his mine saying he shouldn't have said The word 'racist' should not have been applied to Judge Sotomayor as a person. WHAT UP WITH THIS. A POOR CHOICE OF WORD?????? FOOT IN MOUTH. F. I. M.

The Newtster isn't thinking about running for POTUS to help America – he and most Replublicans don't give a darn about our country, he is doing it because it will keep him in the media and he will make money doing so.

oh....and can WE PLEASE READ HER ENTIRE QUOTE?!! Is this what Twitter is doing for America- morphing us into illerate fools who can only read sentences of 256 characters or less and thus forming judegement based on that?

Geesh, read a book people.

Maybe Newt is acting this way on purpose. Maybe he wants to further discredit the far-right to marginalize them so the moderates in the Republican party can get control and steer things back to where they should be. Because if someone with Gingrich's political background temporarily takes sides with someone like Limbaugh, and then goes 'Nope, these folks are nuts and that's not where we want to take the party." Then it pulls the rug out from under them because then enough of those teetering might go, "yeah, I'm sticking with Newt and not listening to your extremist drivel." Anyone doing that for the Democrats?

Hey, it's the best I've got on one cup of coffee. : )

It would be a great help and relief to us all if CNN would discontinue reporting on this cretin. CNN censors many of my comments which are far less offensive than the filth that spews from Gingrich, but you faithfully print his diatribes almost daily. Newt was thrown out of offfice for ethics violations. Why should I be subjected to his insane ramblings whenever I read the news?

I am sorry, but this is silly. ANY person, latina, Chinese, Russian, British or any other non-American who was born and raised in a multicultural environment has more experience then an American (or any other national) who was born and raised in a single-cultural environment. It is a statement of a very simple fact – nothing more nothing less. As for being a women... let me just ask all this very smart white (or otherwise) males out there – have you ever being pregnant? So there, you never had and never will have THIS particular experience so on this account Sotomayor is right again she has more experience. Telling us that upbringing doesn't play any role is simply naive – it always does. While, black or purple in a green polka dot.

They don't look ugly. They ARE ugly.

Racist was not an incorrect term to use when race was discussed by the judge. If he called her a race-baiter ala Al Sharpton, that would have gone too far; she clearly is not. This is just another fine example of what is wrong with our country. Is no one concerned at all that lawyers run everything? One branch of government is comprised solely of lawyers. Another branch of government creates laws with the knowledge that lawyers have done all the legwork involved. That same branch is comprised of mostly lawyers btw. The third branch of government is cocooned by a team of lawyers (personal and governmental) while he himself is often a lawyer (Obama, Clinton, etc). Couple all this with English as one of the crappiest languages on Earth where there are multiple interpretations of the simplest terms. Guess who is there to interpret for us? Lawyers. The US is headed to being a Socialist Barocracy. You saw it here first!

I think he found that such comments are causing mass repudiation of the republican party – as well they should. At least he's showing some sense and common decency for a change.

Let's see if her actual record becomes a GOP talking point.....Nah, they never go with the facts. That would be-American.

A well thought out piece Mrs. Borger it would have been nice if the republican party looked at Mrs. Sotomayor record instead of calling her a racist at the start without even looking at the context in which she said those words. Unfortunately for the Republican party they put too much weight on what people like Rush and Newt think and have now just felt the consequences of doing so. And more unfortunate is the fact that the hispanic community has voted for the democratic party overwhlemingly over the republican party in this past election. We're a very proud community and it was an honour to have someone from our community be nominated to the Supreme Court I think its fair to say this stuff just doesn't happen to our community everyday. But with their actions they just turned off a lot of hispanic voters. If they want to get the hispanic vote back then they should realize that a lot of us are social conservatives they can start there and provide good economic solutions and they got us back so far they have failed. And I don't think they are getting us back anytime soon.

Wow, some of the Republicans actually have brains. I'm shocked. One thing remains clear, if his fellow Republicans hadn't freaked out, he would still be standing by his statement. He's slimey.

Gingrich is a bitter old-time race-baiter who still didn't apologize for calling Sotomayor a racist. Newt will do anything to pander to the far right to get positioned for the 2012 presidential race. The way Newt is mistreating Sotomayor is disgraceful. Interesting how the GOP only engages in ad hominem attacks and doesn't want to review her judicial record.

yes

He withdrew the racist label because according to the media only whites can be racist. That is what they call all of us who don't like our new socialist government and the leader of it.

He withdrew it because he thinks that it might come back to haunt him if he has the bad idea of running for president. The guy is an hypocritical creep who deserves only contempt.

It was a co-ordinated GOP gimmick ....

... have the most radical, rabid voices in the party .... Gingrich or Palin or Cheney or Coulter or Hannity or O'Reily or Limbaugh ... float a trial ballon .... say something OUTRAGEOUS ... and see if it resonated with the American people.

Since it didn't, and Gingrich wants to still get taken seriously by the NEWS MEDIA and the Party Establishment, he offered a non-apology Apology.

Too bad for him, there are numerical facts which will be used to demonstrate how in line she is with her judical colleagues instead of being a black/brown race-favoring wildcard.

I've seen quite a few posts from various related stories claiming "you said it, you meant it, you can't take it back, Newt"... What I find funny about the whole deal is I remember a recent statement from someone else in the government that went something like "We'll release these here torture documents, but they are in the past, we won't prosecute anyone."

Does anyone remember what happened a day later? Oh, right, he lied to us. He determined it might be better to let someone else prosecute after all. Apparently Newt isn't the only one with his head where it doesn't belong.

Newt is a typical catfish, all mouth and no brains.

Not another story on the same subject!! Come on CNN how about one thread per topic, these days of 5-6 threads on the same subject are quite boring, and how many different ways can you spin the Sotomayor mess?

Next time, think before you comment, Newt and you owe the Judge an apology.

What Judge Sotomayor said was racist and sexist, but that doesn't mean that she is. Hopefully, when others, such as white males, say something that could be construed as racist, or is just a random negative comment about a minority, they will not be so quickly tarred with the "racist" brush, as they have in the past.

Gingrich is not an elected official and shouldn't be speaking on behalf of the the republican party. But some people just don't know when to shut up.

And what makes Gloria Borger the expert on Newt Gingrich? So much so that she personally knows why he did. I doubt it, a liberal cannot look beyond their own little world. How about news stories that are factual and not all this liberal speculation with her own personal spin on it.

Newt and Rush are literally killing the future of the GOP with anyone but the fringe voter.

Thanks guys................!

That the GOP has been leaderless is an understatement and is wholly evident by the lack of discipline shown from the right.

Examination? The GOP isn't about to examine anything coherently especially in light of all the anxiety the republicans have caused Americans to suffer over these past 8 years. Examining the fruits of the GOP hard line policies might then shed light of past mistakes to those individuals whom they call their base.

Instead the GOP membership rants and raves against this administration, hoping against all odds that our president will fail. Those still calling themselves republican are doing everything in their power to bring about that failure. There is no one who is qualified to be leader of the GOP. They just keep throwing themselves under the bus.

Newt and Rush have become an albatross around the neck of the GOP, the elected republican officials need to shut down these mean spirited, shrill, insult hurling hacks once and for all.

Rush and Newt have become Mr Obama qnd the democrats biggest assets with their mindless name calling.

They are literally killing the future of the GOP with anyone but the fringe voters

Wow, she broke him down to the draws. And she should. First he says she is a racist which touches off a storm of others saying that, then he says oops. What if someone took him serious? She might have stepped down. Then we would never have her wisdom. He asked Nancy to step down. What is this with stepping down? It did nto work too well for him. We should Mute Newt.

The republican party is crumbling each day and so is Limbaugh.I couldnt be happier,but I dont trust democrats much either,most politicos are in the pockets of Wallstreet,not mainstreet.

Thank you for putting the full quote in there rather than, how it has been said on the cable news shows, by Newt, by Rush, by O'Reily. I have tried to convince my husband that the Republican Party is not full of EVIL people.. Newt and all of them, make it a difficult task.

It was ill-logical for Mr. Gingrich to call Ms. Sotomayer a "racist" to begin with. I suspect he knew that. There is no race of non-white people. Ms. Sotomayer, according to the evidence, is not a member of a race...she is a victim of race-ism.

why don't people drop the term "reverse racism" or "reverse discrimination" because in order to reverse something you would have to admit that you've done it yourself. Most people DON'T want to accept the fact or confess that they in the past have done such acts UNTIL it stings them. Racist is a hard label to put on anyone and coming from the likes of Rush Limbaugh it's comical. Hopefully Newt looked in the mirror and saw how stupid the comment was. Rush never will.

"Is calling her names our best talking point?" asks GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio. "It's a symptom of being leaderless; it's every man for himself these days." Ha! Ha! That is exactly what I've been saying. But these fools believe that by calling our President a 'fascist' or 'socialist' and Ms. Sotomayor a 'racist' and blogging hateful comments about them using a number of different blog names, that they will put doubt in peoples minds. Nice try, Repugs. Your followers, like your 'policies', are devoid of any any substance, and the majority of Americans see it.

Is the CNN political ticker now the new Moveon.org blog? I thought this was a "news" political ticker, not a "we will post ALL of the anti-Republican opinion pieces we can find" ticker. CNN, you show yourself more and more everyday to be in the tank for Obama and how much you have your "heads" up his ass. Why don't you just come out and say you are all dumbocrats and you hope that the U.S. becomes the next Venezuala.

The reason Newt withdrew the racist comment is that he knows that the GOP can not win elections without minorities! And for that matter, Muslims, etc.

Lately all one has heard from the Republicans are lies and name calling, believe me, it will cost them millions of votes in 2010!

This Latino will never vote for the GOP again!

Good points, Gloria. I guess this instant Twitter is not working out so well for the "new" GOP. Then again, Newt says & does a lot of things he "shouldn't..."

I'd also like to understand what Rush meant when he said "reverse racist." Is everything that isn't "white" considered "reverse?"

Newt's mother was a wise woman to name him after a lizzard.

Typical example of everything that is wrong within the r@cist Republican party.

No he just realize how foolish he looked and how many people he pissed off with his Big Mouth

hahahaha

Its people like Newt, Dick, and Rush is why I'm no longer a registered republican! And as always, they are way to extreme and will be the final nails in the republican coffin!

Saying that Newt and Rush Limbaugh have morphed into Thelma and Louise is an insult to Thelma and Louise, even if they are fictitious characters!!

But then again, Newt and Rush are fictitious characters themselves – more the cartoon type!

Glad to see the Repubs are finally showing some maturity by coming down on Newt and Rush for their asinine remarks!

For all of the uninformed : "All in all, Goldstein writes, in an 11-year career on the Second Circuit, the judge "has participated in roughly 100 panel decisions involving questions of race and has disagreed with her colleagues in those cases … a total of four times."

Read. Then draw your conclusions. A mind is terrible thing to waste.

Looks like ol' Newt really screwed up this time doesn't it? Now, how about those who are not elected officials take a lesson...shut the F-up!

All of this is skirting the issue. What really needs to be discussed is the PC lie that it is absolutely impossible for a minority to be a racist. Reverse racism is real and it is gaining ground more and more as these cowed politicians continue to imply that it cannot exist.

Gingrich was immediately castigated for being a white man using the word, long before anybody had examined Sotomayor's record to see if he may have been right.

Discrimination cannot be alleviated by discrimination.

Borger is right on. Newt is a racist himself so he has little room to call anyone else a racist, even if true. Newt realized that he had just shot himself in the foot and is trying to find a way to make the pain go away, hence his retraction. Just another befuddled old fool.

Ms Borger calls Newt out for what he really is-a sad, spent opportunist. As for what the country thinks of Rush these days, well, I'll be he'd lust after being called only sad and spent,.

Newt if that is the best you can come up with always running at the mouth go root with the pigs...

Gingrich is a bafoon with terrible judgment who panders to the far right for the campaign he has already begun for the 2012 Repugliklan presidential nomination.

Why is this man relevent anymore...