WASHINGTON (CNN) - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will vote against the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, his office announced Friday, marking the first time the Kentucky Republican has ever opposed a nominee to the high court.
"Judge Sotomayor's record of written statements suggests an alarming lack of respect for the notion of equal justice, and therefore, in my view, an insufficient willingness to abide by the judicial oath," he said in a written statement. "This is particularly important when considering someone for the Supreme Court since, if she were confirmed, there would be no higher court to deter or prevent her from injecting into the law the various disconcerting principles that recur throughout her public statements. For that reason, I will oppose her nomination."
McConnell, who also opposed Sotomayor's 1998 appellate court nomination, has previously voted to confirm every Supreme Court nominee since joining the senate in 1985, including Clinton appointees Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer.
Other senators who have announced their intent to vote against Sotomayor are Republicans Jim Bunning of Kentucky and Bob Bennett of Utah. Bennett supported Sotomayor's 1998 appellate court nomination.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced Thursday that the GOP will not attempt to block a direct vote on Sotomayor's nomination. Currently, Republicans control 40 seats in the chamber, just shy of the number needed to indefinitely delay a final vote.
From CNN Politics
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GOP = Racism!
That doesn't surprise anyone. We all know what he is REALLY about.
Kentucky? We know and we well understand.
Finally someone willing to do the right thing for America by supporting equal justice for all Americans!!!! I am tired of not recieving equality just because I am a White male. I am tired of filling out forms for employment and know that I am hurting my chance for the job just because I check the box WHITE and the box MALE. Racisim is alive and well today and our government enforces it by reducing White Males to the bottom of the ladder for equality. I ask, Will I ever be able to find a job if this madness of "government defined equality" continues?????
We don't need you nor your vote. You are in the minority. Feels good, doesn't it.
That's ok Sotomayor. You don't need McConnell's support to be confirmed. Mitch is a bitter old white man
Just goes to show that what is godd for the goose is not good for the gander. Alito can talk about his background influencing how he looks at things but Sotomayer can't.
We all know whats going on here. This woman is no raving liberal. She apparently has paid her taxes. Her diverse professional background makes her uniquely qualified to sit on the court. Ivy league schools, tough prosecutor, district judge, appeals judge for 17 years. What reason could they possibly have for opposing her. There are 2 things going on here. 1. McConnell is seen by conservatives as not being strong enough in pushing their agenda of exclusivity in American society. So he's going to show them that he could be just as afraid of somebody different than him as they can be. 2. Mcconnell is trying to push Obama into nominating someone from the very liberal wing of the judiciary the next time by thinking if they're going to fight a moderate than why not just nominate a liberal. Although Obama would have a better chance with the likes of Mcconnell if she had the perspective of a male who was white.
What a load of crap.
I could respect a reasoned argument in opposition, but political gamesaying just to keep the conservative base happy...
That's not leadership, that is just being a toady
Who cares! He doesn't have to worry about the Hispanic vote in Kentucky. It will be interesting to see how Kyle & McCain vote in Arizona. We have a large Hispanic population....
Good for him...just solidifies what we already know about the GOP leadership...not even close to "mainstream'.
If everybody else would follow his lead and vote against the wise one, the country would be much better off.Anybody that obama picks can't be good for America. Birds of a feather.
Wow...someone with some cajones..good for him.... She was deliberately evasive and she cannot be trusted. She scoffed at the Firefighters and they spent 5 hard years waiting for justice. she is a racist and she shouldnt be on the Court. Like Michelle and Barry she is anti White America but you dont know it YET..
Time for McConnell to go someplace other than back to work. He is representing only himself. Bible thumping, southern senators should be vetted before they can be elected to anything but dog catcher.
If Jesus himself were nominated for the Supreme Court, Mitch McConnell would vote against him for being too activist.
Is this really shocking to anyone living on the planet earth? I would be surprised if she gets any republican votes. Not that she isn't qualified; it's just that there is so much tit for tat these days in politics that republicans and democrats cannot agree on anything.
What a shocker and this coming from the party of NO.
And everyone else will vote against him.
OMG! It's official - McConnell is braindead. Take him off life support.
That is a good call.
Dooooooooch!
I am absolutely shocked! I thought sure that this open minded, "bi-partisan," self-righteous a-hole would vote "YES." But then, I must remember, he is limited to a one word vocabulary..."NO!"
.... not that there was any suspense. Who cares?
Big surprise. These repubs have done nothing to earn their pay for the entire year.
Why are they still being paid and utilizing the government health care benefits on our dime?
Does ANYONE really care what Mcconnell, Graham, Limbaugh, Palin, Cheney, or any Republican has to say about anything at any time.After 15 years of utter failure (just look at our country today – It didn't get this way since January!) and these morons have the arrogance and audacity to speak in public. That alone should tell everyone it's time for them to GO (not more NO – GO!) even the moron Bush has shut his mouth! Republicans – just shut up and go away!
Well...Duh....!
McConnell should try reading 17 years of legal briefs by a Federal judge that has been called main stream by both parties with regard to her rulings. If anything what McConnell holds against her is proof that she has been able to seperate personnal bias from professionalism. My guess is that his real problem with Sotomayor is, one she is a woman, and two she is hispanic, with the capper being she was nominated by a Democratic President.