*** Official Thursday Sotomayor confirmation hearing thread 1 ***

[MiniMe]

Good morning everybody. The hearing starts at 9:30am edt

cspan link: http://c-span.org/Supreme-Court-Sotomayor-Senate-Confirmation-Hearings.aspx

Will Coburn do another Ricky Ricardo joke and make an ass out of himself?

What other repubs will make an ass out of themselves?

Have we heard the last of the "wise latina" questions?

What will their theme of the day be?

Join us and find out.

[MiniMe]

1. Here come the Judge

Hearing will start shortly. I have been having trouble with the link above,

cspan3 link http://www.cspan.org/Watch/C-SPAN3_wm.aspx

[MiniMe]

2. Leahy opens the meeting, Kyl up

Says this hearing is longer than Roberts or Alito, compliments Sotomayor on holding up well

[MiniMe]

3. Kyl starts up with the Ricci case

** yawn **

[Catshrink]

11. Vile Kyl

I hope he's enjoying this because we're voting him out next time around. He's an ass and doing his best to prove it. Why isn't he wearing a jacket? He keeps cutting her off and is the rudest bastard evah. I hate him. I'm so ashamed that he and McGramps are my senators.

He's lecturing her on the SC decision? I hate him.

[Hepburn]

23. When is he up for re-election?

I certainly plan to send money to his opponent.

He sucks...big time...:puke:

BTW: You have my deepest sympathy....:hug:

[Catshrink]

65. Thank you...

it's rough -- Kyl and McCain, the Douchebag Duo. McCain is up in '10 and Kyl in '12.

[S_E_Fudd]

4. Republican idiocy day three...nt

[MiniMe]

5. Kyl is being very rude, he has interrupted her 3 times already

[S_E_Fudd]

6. They do that when they know the answer will make them look like bigger morons...

Than they already are!

[MiniMe]

7. Oops, interrupted 1 more time

Accuses her of stealing his time

[S_E_Fudd]

12. Only important because it allows right wingers like Pat Buchanan..

To claim the white man are really the ones being discriminated against...

[alsame]

8. I missed the beginning - what precedent is he talking about?

[MiniMe]

10. What precedent they used for the ruling for the Ricci case

[alsame]

14. Thank you.

[CTyankee]

9. Wolf Blitzer just said we would hear from the New Haven firefighters

testifying (and all spiffed out in their uniforms) against the Uppity Woman...

[MiniMe]

13. They are scheduled as Republican witnesses

[CTyankee]

15. I still don't understand how they get to testify against a judge in a case where

they were litigants...

[MiniMe]

17. Apparentlyt the repubs think it will be helpful to retry the case in the Senate

:shrug: Who knows what they think, I get a headache if I try too hard

[Hepburn]

16. When I clicked on the link for the hearing....

...I got a message that CSPAN does not license the link.

What is up with that? :shrug:

[Catshrink]

18. I saw the same message.

no clue.

[Hepburn]

21. The other link is working....

...so at least I can get that since the MSM feels it best to interrupt and yack about other matters.

[MiniMe]

19. Not sure, I got that message too. cspan3 link

http://www.cspan.org/Watch/C-SPAN3_wm.aspx

[MiniMe]

20. Kyl is spending his entire time telling her how her decision on Ricci sucks

Well, that is my interpretation of it

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

27. And of course he failed to mention that it was a 5-4 decision (cause of activist repukes) Thanks MM!

:hi:

[MiniMe]

22. Kyl finished, DiFi up

[Catshrink]

24. Judge Sotomayor reminds me of the cat in this photo:

except the dogs (Sessions, Kyl, Grassley, etc.) are snarling and barking. She, like the cat, is cool and calm. You go girl!

[MiniMe]

26. LOL

Thanks for the laugh :hi:

[itsrobert]

48. Cats are cool and calm?

Try giving a cat a bath.

[Catshrink]

52. That cat, in that situation...

But you're right. No way would I try to bathe my cats -- it's hard enough to trim their nails!

[PA Democrat]

55. Except the dogs have a MUCH higher IQ than Sessions and company. nt

[Catshrink]

68. Good point.

Think about the decision a wise canine would make in the voting booth when those clowns are on the ballot.

[MiniMe]

25. DiFi defends Sotomayor with her questions

Brings up a case from another circuit court that decided exactly the same way

[MiniMe]

28. DiFi gives her a chance to say why she became a judge. Graham up now

[Skidmore]

29. Is cspan3 the only place where one can view today's hearing?

[MiniMe]

31. Seems to be

You can check CNN and MSNBC to see if they have any live feeds to it.

[truth2power]

32. I have been watching it on my local PBS station for the past 3 days...

I realize that many here are at work and can't access a TV, but just letting you know in case one is available. :)

[Hepburn]

36. I am checking out PBS here ~~ SoCal ~~

...but I am not seeing anything like what you have.

Dang...!!!

[truth2power]

61. I'm sorry. I feel fortunate that it's being carried here (SW Ohio)..

Since I'm able to be home at this point in time, I can have it on while I'm taking care of tasks around the house.

[Irishonly]

71. World PBS

It's nice-no idiots telling you what you heard.

[Critters2]

138. Our PBS station only shows kid's programming all day, every day.

Really irritating at times like this.

[ginnyinWI]

161. My PBS (Milwaukee) doesn't think it's worthwhile. nt

[MiniMe]

30. Graham's theme seems to be a little Ricci, and DOMA

Who can get married and who should decide. Ugh.

[Hepburn]

33. He is now going into the issue of the incorporation of the 2nd Amendment....

....as a "fundamental right" viz the 14th Amendment.

What RW knee jerk issue has the butt head NOT hit...:eyes:

[MiniMe]

34. Graham is asking about fundamental right to get married

And now Graham interrupts her because he isn't getting the answer he wants.

[Hepburn]

35. Gads I HATE Graham....

....he is such a schmuck!

:puke:

Over and over and over and over again and again...and interrupts her to the max. The same fucking questions....!!!!

Fuck the RW bigot POS.

[saltpoint]

37. Go, Judge Sotomayor!

[BlooInBloo]

38. Graham: Empathy for gun owners = good.

[MiniMe]

39. Graham is a condescending piece of crap

He just gave her a 10 minute lecture on nothing and treated her like a piece of crap.

[MiniMe]

40. Her speeches are apparently "disturbing" to Graham

Sessions is "troubled", Graham is "disturbed"

[Hepburn]

45. They are such male chauvanists....

...they way the both talk down to her like she is something beneath them.

I am soooooo sick of all the "Latina" bullshit from them. They need to deal with the issue that the standard is NOT only what old white men think.

Fuck them both! :puke:

[xxqqqzme]

80. This really is not all that different from the way

Anita Hill was treated and she wasn't the nominee. I will never forget Biden, his recent hair plugs quite evident, treating Ms. Hill w/ utter disdain. He all but called her a liar.

[BlooInBloo]

41. Graham: I, like other white folks, am scared that brown people will act like white folks act...

viz a viz, claiming to not be racist, and then showing true colors at the first opportunity.

[truth2power]

42. First Graham said we should put people on the SC who see the world

in the same way we see it. Then he says it's not ok to want to see America as she wants it to be. (Something like that). Sorry, trying to listen and type at the same time.

Graham is a fool, in more ways than one.

[MiniMe]

43. Now he is off on the Puerto Rican Defense Fund

Seems to Graham like they are mostly advocating for abortion and against the death penalty.

[MiniMe]

44. Now he is calling her an advocate

[MiniMe]

46. I give her credit for not getting up and slapping Graham

[abluelady]

47. Obviously Not at 10:30am

Thank goodness Lindsey Graham has finally shut up. There is absolutely no reason for this nonsense to continue. She is beyond a shadow of a doubt qualified to be on the Supreme Court.

[MiniMe]

49. Graham done, Durbin has passed. Klobuchar up now

[MiniMe]

50. Klobuchar submits a ton of letters from various police organizations and colleages

[LeftinOH]

51. Deep down- do you think Sotomayor is amused by questions from Graham the intellectual cretin?

She is "wise" enough to not show it, but *damn* -how aggravating would it be to have to put up with questions from a complete dumbass like Graham? Whenever he speaks I swear I can hear IQ points falling.

[MiniMe]

53. Like I said, I give her great credit for not getting up and smacking the shit out of him

[Hepburn]

54. I think she must look at him like the owner of a dog when the dog refuses.....

...to become housebroken and continues to piss and shit in the middle of the room.

[jaxx]

63. That makes me feel better. Really.

I was ready to call his office and tell them how disappointed I am in his questioning and how I didn't know he was such a blatant racist. I'd have probably made an ass of myself, but that urge is still with me. ;-)

From now on he's Mr. Piss and Shit to me!

[Hepburn]

73. LOL.....

....he really does make me think of that!

And...after taking a dump...the dumbshit is PROUD of what he thinks he has accomplished!

[truth2power]

67. ...

:rofl:

[alsame]

56. Probably. She is smarter than these GOPers - she knows it and

they know it. She has maintained incredible composure during these hearings, but I'll bet she laughs her ass off when she gets home at night.

[truth2power]

64. Did anyone catch when Graham started off his time with some

blah blah blah, she responded, "Yes, I understand the Constitution." You'd have to see the whole interchange, but I think it was a real slam against Graham. Good!

[MiniMe]

57. Klobuchar done, Cornyn up

edited because sometimes it is hard to tell them apart.

[Hepburn]

58. Coburn = snake. n/t

[Hepburn]

59. Oooooops.....

...wrong asshole!

[MiniMe]

62. It applies to Cornyn too

[MiniMe]

60. Cornyn is "confused"

So now we have disturbed, troubled, and confused. What other dwarves will show up today. Reference is to Snow White and the 7 dwarves, now a slam on little people.

[MiniMe]

66. She pwns Cornyn

He tried to set her up with a question of decisions that make law or interpret law. She told him that she would be wrong no matter which way she answered, and it was a setup.

[BlooInBloo]

69. It's funny when white folks cite MLK when calling brown folks racist...

I'm sure that was planned out last night in the back room with his friends over cigars, scotch, and a lot of laughter.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

72. Yep, I "loved" that little, "I'm not a racist" ploy.....

:puke:

[MiniMe]

70. Specter up now, then a break

Specter is giving it to the repubs, good for him

[BlooInBloo]

74. Specter: Apparently you didn't hear me yesterday....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6074318&mesg_id=6074447

[MiniMe]

75. Short break, then they will continue with Coburn

I really hope Franken will follow, they need to end with a dem.

[Hepburn]

76. The Pubbies are sooooooo offensive....

...totally offensive.

White haired, old white men ~~ mostly from the Southern states ~~ who cannot understand that there is NO longer a standard which deems only what benefits them is what shall be.

Unbelievable...totally unbelievable!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

77. Anyone else getting this error message when trying to watch from the above link?

"C-span has not licensed this website to embed this live video player"

This didn't happen to me yesterday. Am watching it on C-Span 3.

Thanks in advance! :hi:

[Hepburn]

78. Yep....

...and here is a link to another CSPAN live stream:

http://www.cspan.org/Watch/C-SPAN3_wm.aspx

Pretty good...only hangs up now and then.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

79. lol! Thanks for the link. I've been using that one! I was watching it earlier on

that link on my mac laptop which has a slow processor. I'm on my work PC now and I thought I could get a bit more higher def with the "control room". Oh well, at least I'm not the only one! :tinfoilhat: :hi:

[MiniMe]

82. Just heard them advertise the link on cspan

I wondered if they knew it wasn't working. :banghead:

[Hepburn]

84. It was sooooo good yesterday....

...I think it hung up only once and the bottom of the screen showed about 7,500 watching on that link.

But today??? Who knows! :hi:

[MiniMe]

I know, I really liked that link

Oh well. Hope they do that in the future too.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

91. When I switched from my Mac* and came down to work on my PC I was so looking forward to using this

new c-span feature again! I was saying to myself how wonderful it was the c-span started to become a bit more sophisticated with their video coverage. What a bummer it was for me when it didn't work. :banghead:

*my ibook is old and has a slow processor so I have to use the simplest video progams for it.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

88. lol! I think they mentioned it right after I posted about it and that's

when the paranoia set in! :rofl:

[Hepburn]

83. U R welcome....

....seems that everyone is getting the same message.

LOL...you got a working link just in time for you to watch asshole Coburn! :evilgrin:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

86. lol! I must be a masochist to sit through the bullshit of these disgusting

Repukes. There is a visceral reaction within me that I get from them. Ughhh.

[MiniMe]

90. Maybe the lower res is better in that case

:rofl:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

97. Know what? I'm not even watching it and just listening. I just can't stand to

look at those POS! :rofl:

Seriously, I think I'm genetically engineered to be a Democrat. My grandparents, my parents and through life have not had one friend that was a repuke. A lover once though.. ;) How the hell anyone can like these coldblooded sociopaths is beyond me.

[MiniMe]

81. Hearing starting up again with Coburn

[Hepburn]

85. Latte spew re: SS's response to asshole Coburn....

...."it would be presumptious of me to tell you how to do your job..."

Oh, the intro to her response ~~ fucking priceless!

[MiniMe]

87. Loved it. I LOL'd

[Hepburn]

89. And....she said it sooooooo sweetly!

:rofl:

[MiniMe]

92. Coburn is worried that her rulings will try to take his guns away

[Hepburn]

93. Wait ~~ did you say take his "brains" away?

Too late....!

What a complete asshole. He is clueless on the law and they way incorporation works.

What a mindless fuck.

[BlooInBloo]

94. hahahaha! Sotomayor PWNED Coburn.

[tekisui]

99. Details!

[Hepburn]

95. Oh, fuck....she just mega pwned Coburn!

Wow....:applause:

[JonLP24]

96. I don't know if others agree with me but great answer by Sotomayor

Really schooled Coburn imo.

[Hepburn]

100. It was outstanding, IMO:

He clearly does not understand the legal conception of incorporation of a basic "fundamental right" to the states through the 14th Amendment. I don't know who in the hell wrote that question for him to ask, but they should be fired.

[MiniMe]

101. He made it clear, he is not a lawyer Jim, he is a doctor

[Hepburn]

98. OMG........

........he is at it again...Roe v. Wade.

Fuck off, Coburn....it IS "settled" law. What is it you do not understand, you dumb fuck?

:grr:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

103. This dumb fuck, like the other dumb repuke fucks are grandstanding to their

narrow minded bigotted bases. It's simply that.

[MiniMe]

102. Anybody else think that the 2 women behind Coburn

are looking at him like he has lost his mind?

[Hepburn]

104. Did he have a mind to lose???

:shrug:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

105. Senator Franken has asked some of the most thoughtful questions. He is

blowing me away.

[MiniMe]

106. Agreed, and she gave a wonderful answer

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

108. It was perfect. ... now my stomach is getting churned up again..Sessions

:puke:

[Hepburn]

122. I just love him ... and his voice?

It is soooooo wonderful. He sounds good while asking great questions!

:loveya:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

134. Yummy. :) When the Iraq War was started, Al was for it. I think that finding

out why he was wrong will help shape him into being one of the most Progressive and educated Senators. So far I have found him stellar.

And yes, his voice again! lol!

:loveya:

[MiniMe]

107. 3rd round starting with 10 minute time limit for the Senators

But most of the Senators expected to question are the repubs.

[cali]

109. jeffyhole is sickening

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

111. Was his spiel about judges' pay meant to turn the avg American against her? How about his

damned pay, benefits and pension to come?

[alsame]

115. She needs a lot of money to live

La Vida Loca in DC. :sarcasm:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

118. Opportunist hussy! I bet she wears Jimmy Choo's....

not....

:rofl:

[JonLP24]

110. Sessions has actually just said a decent thing n/t

[Voltaire]

112. that he is going to drop dead?

nt

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

114. ....

:rofl:

[JonLP24]

116. Like the poster above has said

He has been sickening the whole time. However he said that Sotomayor has carried herself well and with humor. Then said (paraphrasing) he doesn't think anyone here of this committee will support any attempt to block or filibuster and let it go to a full vote.

It is of course a believe until I see it opportunity.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

117. Then he went on to badger her again, mentioned the money she's going to make & called her a coward.

He is a turd.

[JonLP24]

120. I agree.. n/t

[Spazito]

113. Geez, the second that creep opens his mouth (Sessions) I immediately...

envision the photos of hordes of the KKK on horseback carrying burning torches.

He is truly one of the most despicable specimens of humanity I have seen.

[ginnyinWI]

162. is there any way this piece of slime could be thrown out?

I mean defeated next time he's up for re-election? He is so condescending and racist I want to throw up. It does show Soto's self-control; she's cool and calm.

[cal04]

119. thank you for the thread MiniMe

and thanks to everyone for posting
I see the Judge knocked out Coburn
Sotomayor defies Coburn on gun rights argument
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_sotomayor_gun_rights
:hi:

[eleny]

121. "Senator Grassley, this is what I always tell my students...."

:rofl:

You go, Judge Sotomayor!

[Hepburn]

123. Mega pwned!

:applause:

[Hepburn]

124. Kyl, you dumb fuck....

...how long does it take and how many words and explanations does it take for your understand the legal concept of incorporation viz the 2nd Amendment????

Duh........:argh: :spank: :banghead:

You simply cannot be the fucking stupid!!!!

[Hepburn]

125. She got him again....

...on the standard of review...and he had to cut her off!

:rofl:

Dumb asshat!

[cal04]

127. she's making them all look like the

dumb asses they are

[Hepburn]

129. Boy, is that ever the truth! n/t

[Graybeard]

126. Once again Kyl is interrupting every answer.

[Hepburn]

128. The last one was because she called him out on a wrong statement of the law.

The standard of review viz the issue of fundamental rights viz the 2nd Amendment ~~ he stated it was as set forth in Heller ~~ that is incorrect and she called him out on it.

Asshat immediately changed the subject even before she could complete her correction of his mis-statment of the law.

LOL...!!

[southernleftylady]

130. Did Graham just lecture the american people on..

better better than our enemies??? Hello... the whole reason we don't want to torture.. idiot

[Hepburn]

131. Who the gives a fuck, Lindsay????

:banghead:

Stop the fucking grandstanding ~~ we all know you were JAG...BFD!

[cal04]

132. Graham shut up we don't care what you think

it's not about what you think, you didn't even let her answer while you were rambling

[Hepburn]

133. I hate that SOB....

....:grr:

He exemplies the worst of the worst!

[MiniMe]

135. I dozed off for a minute there

I really don't like Lindsey Graham

[Hepburn]

136. He is soooooo offensive....

...I am not sure which is the biggest asshole ~~ Graham or Sessions. :shrug:

[monmouth]

137. Remember that pic of POTUS on the phone with Judge Sotomayor

and he's smiling/laughing? Do you think he was giving her a headsup on what to expect from these nimrods and they were both discussing the "what ifs??" I would imagine SS had a good idea anyway on what to expect and I think she has been totally prepared for this exercise and has come out looking like an olympic winner.

[rvablue]

145. Joe Biden and his team prepped Sotomayor for the hearings

And the VP and his team from when he sat on the Judiciary committee have years and years and years of doing this themselves.

And remember, Sotomayor had to go through this same process --- while not as public -- back in '97 when she was appointed by Clinton to the appellate court.

[alsame]

153. And they did a great job. I thought she was flawless. nt

[monmouth]

160. They did a wonderful job. I would have jumped over that table and

attempted to hit someone or at the very least give some really snarky wise-ass answers. Way to go Joe..

[rvablue]

163. Me, too. I bet our VP gave Sotomayor very, very good counsel and real life pointers on this

as I'm sure he had to practice the same restraint many times during his debate with Sarah "Say it ain't so, Joe" Palin!

[LSK]

139. Wow Cornyn is as dumb as a pile of rocks

He's obsessed about foreign law. "Why would you want to even discuss it?"

:wtf:

[LSK]

140. Coburn thinks we wont be able to pay her salary in a few years

:rofl:

[cal04]

141. Coburn where were you when YOUR president

was screwing this country
shut up about the debt you left us with

[LSK]

143. 10 years ago we had a SURPLUS

Maybe if we stop doing wars of choice and giving millionaires tax breaks, we will get there again???????????????????????????

Hes acting like its the end of the world and theres no turning back.

[MiniMe]

142. I'm getting a little worried about Judge Sotomayor

She has only had 1 break since 9:30 this morning, and been under intense questioning. That has to be stressful. She is diabetic, and needs to check her blood sugar and most likely needs to eat. I hope the rest is short now, I think it may be starting to affect her, not that she would ever mention it.

[Hepburn]

144. I also heard that with the cast on her leg....

...she needs to keep it elevated and move it around re: circulation.

Talk about showing no empathy!

[Graybeard]

147. She shows no signs of stress.

It's true that there should have been more breaks but SS is as sharp now as she was at the beginning. She is smacking down these ass hats.

[Hepburn]

148. No matter how the hell they try...

...they have NOT laid a hand on her one time.

Well, except Franken ~~ because she could not name the one case Perry Mason lost!

:hi:

[cal04]

151. looks like that got a lot of press yesterday

Perry Mason lost just one case during the nine-season run of the CBS series of the same name. What was the name of the episode in question? "The Case of the Deadly Verdict," which originally aired October 17, 1963.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1947072/sonia_sotomayor_sen_al_franken_forget.html


http://news.google.com/news?um=1&ned=us&hl=en&q=%22The+Case+of+the+Deadly+Verdict.%22&cf=all&scoring=d

[MiniMe]

149. I agree, she is doing great

But she has to be under stress, especially since all the questions have been from repubs during the last hour.

[Hepburn]

146. PEOPLE CALL YOU "SIMPLE" BECAUSE YOU ARE...

...A DUMBASS!!!!

:rofl:

[Hepburn]

150. Jeff Sessions is a shit stain. eom

[cal04]

152. did Leahy just say 2000 people came to watch

wow

[MiniMe]

155. Yup, over the 4 days

[MiniMe]

154. Judge Sotomayor is done with the grilling, there is a 10 minute break

Leahy was very complimentary in his closing. If they have witnesses when they come back, I will start a new thread, this one is getting long. We will have a little while before the site goes down for maintenance.

[MiniMe]

156. I think that Sessions will ask for the additional week before the committee vote

Leahy said it is their right, and he would protect it if they asked, but he didn't think they would. He is being an ass in his presser.

[MiniMe]

157. New thread started, please post all comments there

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6081615

[Hepburn]

158. Thanks! nt

[alsame]

159. Thank you for these threads, MiniMe. nt