Graham to Sotomayor: Do You Have a Temperament Problem?

[babylonsister]

http://washingtonindependent.com/50952/graham-to-sotomayor-do-you-have-a-temperament-problem

Graham to Sotomayor: Do You Have a Temperament Problem?
By Daphne Eviatar 7/14/09 5:02 PM


Ouch. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) just lit into Sonia Sotomayor for being “a terror on the bench” and “nasty to lawyers,” and for attacking lawyers she disagrees with, citing the comments of anonymous lawyers quoted in the Almanac of the Federal Judiciary.

“You stand out like a sore thumb in terms of your temperament,” he charged. “What’s your answer to these criticisms?”

Sotomayor: “I do ask tough questions in oral argument. … When I ask lawyers tough questions it’s to give them an opportunity to explain their positions on both sides and to persuade me that they’re right. I do know that in the Second Circuit, because we only give litigants ten minutes of oral arguments each, that processes are different in the Second Circuit than in most circuits across the country. Our court is generally described as a hot bench. … That means that they’re peppered with questions. … Lots of lawyers who are unfamiliar with the process in the Second Circuit find that process difficult and challenging.”

Graham interrupted her. “They find you difficult and challenging more than your colleagues,” he said, adding: “I never liked appearing before a judge who was a bully. Do you think you have a temperament problem?”

Sotomayor tried to say no, but Graham interrupted her again.

“I would suggest to you as you go forward that these statements are striking,” he said. “They’re not about your colleagues. Maybe these hearings are a time for self-reflection.”

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Lindsey Graham has a temperament problem.

That is to say, he's a huge festering bag of douche.

[Tansy_Gold]

2. Sound like the bullying

is coming from Sen. Graham.

[hewitt]

3. He's a patronizing, sexist little man

What a manner to win over females to the repig party. Way to go, Huckleberry. Declare your preferences; you will be a happier man.

[lsewpershad]

19. Graham

A very small man in every respect bullies to build stature. What a despicable creep. We need to make him pay in the next election cycle.

[Eric J in MN]

4. What a creep. Announcing on national TV that anonymous...

...people have criticized her style.

[Gold Metal Flake]

8. "Some say..."

[Eric J in MN]

9. Maybe he'll work for Fox News after he leaves the Senate. NT

NT

[Hepburn]

20. The sooner he leaves, the better. IMO, he would fit perfectly at Faux. n/t

[countingbluecars]

5. She certainly proved that her temperament is fine.

I don't know how she sat there and listened to that condescending asshole. He talked down to her and lectured her on her behavior like she was a child.

[blondeatlast]

6. It's a judge's job to be tough with lawyers. “I never liked appearing before a judge who was a bully

Which tells me that Mr. Graham, Esq. was a really crappy trial lawyer, then.

[Hepburn]

21. Having tried a ton of cases in my career...

...I second that.

As long as they were not stupid, asshole, bigoted POS like Graham, no judge was ever a problem, IMO. It was MY courtroon and I owned it when I was done.

Apparently Lindsay could not do that! :hi:

[blondeatlast]

29. I'm working toward paralegal certification now and gaining a whole new respect

for good lawyers and judges.

I can just tell he was a piece of shit and most likely condescending as well. Grrrrr.....

[Hansel]

7. Has anyone ever asked a man if he has a temperament problem?

This is such a sexist and condescending statement. He openly and enthusiastically supported a man for president who has a reputation for having one of the worst tempers in the Senate. I've never once heard him how "troubling" John McCain's outbursts and the comments from his colleagues about his temperament were.

[Dappleganger]

10. If she were a man he wouldn't be saying this

He'd just say that he was doing his due diligence like Scalia and Roberts.

[csziggy]

27. Bingo! Men are tough, women have temperment problems

It was sexist and of course Lindsay is incapable of recognizing it.

[Control-Z]

28. Nope. Probably

patted him on the back with at big "'atta boy". What a POS.

[JitterbugPerfume]

11. it is the tired old

hot tempered Latina meme . What a tool he is!

[DebbieCDC]

12. Missy Lindsay's corset is too tight again

[lindisfarne]

13. Anyone have access to the Almanac of Federal Judiciary? It would be interesting to know what % of

comments about her were along the lines of those cited by Graham.

It would also be interesting to know whether anonymous comments toward female circuit court judges in general are more negative than those toward male circuit court judges.

[rvablue]

15. +1....yes, it would be very, very interesting. n/t

[rvablue]

14. Shameless, just shameless. I know I shouldn't be, but I find this stunning.

Hope Lindsey is proud that this disgusting and ridiculous line of questioning is now his legacy.

It's obvious they are trying to make her "freak out" so they can get a sound bite.

She's not going to take the bait. Biden and his incredibly experienced team prepped her for this. And she's been down this road before in '97.

And while I shouldn't expect anything better out of the GOPers on the committee, I find this episode just stunning and sad.

If anything, this 1950-esque "temperment" line of questioning is going to ensure that Collins and Snowe vote for confirmation.

[Kingofalldems]

16. Graham is a sneaky one. Reminds me of Bush's DU pal

[DrZeeLit]

17. I wonder what anonymous sources think of Scalia? Terror on the bench? Bully?

But that's a "good thing" for a guy, right?

Geez, what a crock of double standard.
I am so tired of the "he's assertive/she's a bitch" crap.

Enough of this "ladylike behavior" mindset. So 1950's. We are NOT going back to cowering, barefoot, and pregnant.
NO!

Strong, intelligent, outspoken women rock. Period.

[Rainbowreflect]

18. Too bad she cannot reply

"the fact that I have not beat the crap out of you today shows my temperament is just fine."

[provis99]

22. I guess Graham has heard all about those "hot-tempered Latina" types

good grief. Go back to the cave in South Carolina, Graham, you cretin.

[damntexdem]

23. Maybe he's just seeking common ground with her.

;-)

[MzNov]

24. She should have said: Only when I'm menstruating

:rofl:

[jberryhill]

31. Or, "Yes, But Us Latinas are Hot-Blooded, You Know"

It was a two-fer.

[malaise]

25. Bill Maher and Tweety just had a great discussion on this

Imagine campaigning with John McGramps and now raising Sotomayer's temperament.
That was freaking hilarious. :rofl:

[David Zephyr]

26. Sigmund Freud would be in his glory with Sen. Prissypants calling Sotomayor a "bully".

As a proud gay guy, I've found in my life that many times, closeted, self-loathing homosexuals like Senator Lindsey Graham resent women in power, they actually see them as "bullies". How tragic.

Lindsey Graham should be grateful that she will soon be on the High Court so that little boys in South Carolina won't have to grow up hiding who they are and hating themselves as much as he does.

Sonia Sotomayor will do more for the young Lindsey Grahams in America than he himself ever has, even with his powerful position, and that alone is enough to probably make him despise her. Deep down inside he knows this.

Well this graying gay says: Hooray for Sonia! You are dong great! I can't wait for you to be on the Supreme Court. America will be a beter counry for your service, Sonia.

[alsame]

30. Roger SImon on Tweety just said that Graham got chewed out

by Limbaugh for being too nice to her yesterday and that's why he was so nasty and petty today. Tweety was skeptical.

[kevinbgoode]

32. I half-expected Gov. Sanford to be flying around having a

private meeting with Linzy. . .after all, the confirmed southern bachelor would be a perfect foil for the married male Republican with a "family values I-get-to-play-around-and-the-people-can-eat-cake" attitude.

Perhaps someone should ask Graham about the temperament of allegedly straight white males who still view it as an entitlement to be overrepresented on our courts, in our government, and in the corporations running this country. What kind of temperament would make him represent a political party which is obsessed with maintaining heterosexual white male supremacy when it only represents 30 percent of the population?

[KoKo]

33. SHOCKING! "Lil' Lindsay" accused her of having PMS!

:puke:

[SalmonChantedEvening]

34. Sonia will indeed be going forward.

And you Lindsey, as always, will be going backwards.

[jazzjunkysue]

35. Lindsey didn't hear anything past "oral."

At that point, he was thinking about Ken Lay, and Ashcroft, and the good old days when Jeff Gannon slept over at the white house.

His little weenie made a sad, failed attempt at a lift, he remembered his mother chastizing him mercilessly as a child for wetting the bed and sucking his thumb through the 6th grade. Lift aborted.

Downshift into the guilt he feels when he remembers all the dinners at Mom's he missed to be out with the boys in the senate, and Sotomayor has been transformed into his hysterical, furious, sexually frustrated mother.

At that point, the other GOP knuckleheads knew his head had melted or exploded and they'd better pick up the line of questioning, or they'd have to recess and make up another story about him having to leave to deal with a family emergency...

Sobbing in the bathroom all over John McCain....

[defendandprotect]

36. GOP "bullies" with immense behavior problems . . . .

telling us that Sotomayor is a girl and has cooties!!