Newt Gingrich on Twitter: ‘Latina woman racist should…withdraw’
Former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich just twittered the following to his closest 344,357 friends about five minutes ago, never mentioning U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor by name:
White man racist nominee would be forced to withdraw. Latina woman racist should also withdraw.
Sonia Sotomayor, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals/Bloomberg
That message was preceded by this one:
Imagine a judicial nominee said “my experience as a white man makes me better than a latina woman” new racism is no better than old racism
We called a spokesman for Gingrich, who said the former Georgia congressman is currently in Europe.
The aide said the “tweets” are genuine, which makes Gingrich the most prominent Republican yet to take a hard line against Obama’s nominee for the high court. And that could presage more resolute GOP opposition in Congress.
Conservative talk show giant Rush Limbaugh said something similar on Tuesday, after the Sotomayor nomination:
“Here you have a racist. You might want to soften that and you might want to say a reverse racist.
“And the libs of course say, the minorities cannot be racists, because they don’t have the power to implement their racism. Well, those days are gone, because reverse racists certainly do have the power to implement their power.”
The criticism is drawn from a speech that Sotomayor made in 2001 at the University of California campus in Berkley. This is the quote, via Time magazine, emphasis added:
“Justice O’Connor has often been cited as saying that a wise old man and wise old woman will reach the same conclusion in deciding cases. I am also not so sure that I agree with the statement … I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
Gingrich’s European tweet quickly made it to the White House press room. This from the Washington Times:
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs dismissed the remarks as coming from a “former lawmaker” and smacking of “partisan politics.”
“It is probably important for anybody involved in this debate to be exceedingly careful with the way in which they decide to describe different aspects of this impending confirmation,” Mr. Gibbs said when asked about the remarks.
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396 comments Add your comment
RetLTC
May 27th, 2009
12:45 pm
It just gets better and better. Watching Newt, Rush, wingnuts et al implode is the best entertainment we’ve seen in a while.
SpaceyG
May 27th, 2009
12:54 pm
So much (Twitter trash talk) to keep up with. Who can do it all? Be glad you’ve got some uber-rich lady’s cash to help you out. Sure wish I’d been nicer to some of those great great aunties. But they were so creepy to a little kid.
Republicans are the new Whigs
May 27th, 2009
12:54 pm
Just keep doing what you’re doing!
Keith
May 27th, 2009
12:57 pm
Be honest folks… there is a double standard!
RetLTC
May 27th, 2009
12:59 pm
Keith, if their is a double standard, how did it start. What was the catalyst?
Tom Houck
May 27th, 2009
1:00 pm
Wow! What a gift my pal Newt gives us.
Tyree
May 27th, 2009
1:12 pm
“Imagine a judicial nominee said “my experience as a white man makes me better than a latina woman” new racism is no better than old racism. Can’t stand Newt. But the point is valid.
itpdude
May 27th, 2009
1:14 pm
There is a point here: if a white guy said same, he’d be summarily bounced.
It’s such a blatant hypocrisy that cannot stand.
steve
May 27th, 2009
1:14 pm
As a conservative can I just take a moment to plead with (insert Newt, Rush, Hannity, etc.) Please, please just shut up! You are not helping!!!
BDawg
May 27th, 2009
1:15 pm
Now what office does Newt currently hold? And why do we care (or they report) about anything he does? I seem to recall Newt had a torrid affair and scandel after scandel. Where are those stories?
jms
May 27th, 2009
1:15 pm
“Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” -Sotomayor
Racism is ugly in all its forms.
Danielle
May 27th, 2009
1:15 pm
Wow! Newt Gingrich is such an idiot. He belongs in a cartoon. His face
fits the mode of an out of control character. Suck it up and realize the
day has arrived when the Good Ole Boys are no longer in charge!!!!!!!!
AnnieR
May 27th, 2009
1:15 pm
Somebody should take away Newt’s tweeter…
George American
May 27th, 2009
1:16 pm
Everyone knows what Newt said is right.
But oh God forbid, it is politically incorrect!!!
Thanks, Newt for keepin’ it real.
KBrab
May 27th, 2009
1:17 pm
Of course, I wouldn’t want a justice sitting on the Supreme Court who didn’t think they were the best judge in the world. As for calling her a racist, that is both misguided and sad, given the amazing lack of support Newt’s Repubs have to minority communities for decades.
Hmmm....
May 27th, 2009
1:18 pm
What’s that quote about the Republican party these days…? Full of sound and fury signifying….?
JM
May 27th, 2009
1:18 pm
Just keep talking Newt … all you’re doing is dragging the Republican party down with you and that’s fine by me.
Brad Steel
May 27th, 2009
1:18 pm
Maybe he should shut up and go back to cheating on his wife.
William
May 27th, 2009
1:19 pm
JMS
Why not post the entire quote?
Freedom Rules
May 27th, 2009
1:19 pm
RetLTC, It doesn’t matter how the double standard started. It has to end – otherwise we’ll continue to be no closer to Dr. King’s dream in 100 years. It shouldn’t matter if the nominee is black, white, red, brown, purple, green, or clear… what should matter is respect for the rule of law and the Constitution. Ms. Sotomayor cannot be a judge and believe that her being Latina makes her a better judge anyone else. She’s supposed to be impartial and rule on the merits of a case or on the questions of law at hand.
LamarH
May 27th, 2009
1:19 pm
Imagine us being just Americans and not divided by race. God Bless!
KBrab
May 27th, 2009
1:20 pm
Should have said:
As for calling her a racist, that is both misguided and sad, given the amazing lack of support Newt’s Repubs have shown to minority communities for decades.
George American
May 27th, 2009
1:20 pm
And someone will call me racist for carrying a gun in Atlanta, a city polluted with hoodlums where even a trip to the Mall is a life threatening event.
Billy Bob
May 27th, 2009
1:20 pm
AmVet, you are so in denial…
MarinaP
May 27th, 2009
1:21 pm
We’ve dealt with the “my experience as a white man makes me better than a white, black or latina woman” attitude for too long. Anyone notice the world is all messed up becasue of these white men?
br
May 27th, 2009
1:21 pm
The truth hurts….
allison
May 27th, 2009
1:21 pm
Newt Gingrich is a hypocritical idiot. Always has been, always will be.
Boots
May 27th, 2009
1:22 pm
I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying watching Gingrich, Hannity, Rush et al spin into an apoplectic orbit.
My only comment regarding the Republican reaction to Judge Sotomayor’s nomination is that I remember very well Clarence “Long Dong Silver” Thomas.
What a joke!
KBrab
May 27th, 2009
1:22 pm
George American,
I don’t call you a racist for carrying a gun. One has nothing to do with the other. I might call you part of the gun violence problem, but I certainly wouldn’t call you a racist.
DK
May 27th, 2009
1:23 pm
Let’s see, a judge is reversed 60% of the time and this is a qualification for the Supreme Court!? So she understands the law 40%…but I guess that is good enough for government work!
Ronnie
May 27th, 2009
1:23 pm
Negroes and Hispanics have race on their mind 24/7. Don’t you forget it.
Name (required)
May 27th, 2009
1:23 pm
Why does he speak like Confucious?
Will
May 27th, 2009
1:23 pm
I smell a “clarification” coming, don’t you?? This just does not sound like Newt.
Ralph
May 27th, 2009
1:23 pm
I guess Newt has forgotten that Bush #1 was the first president to appoint her as a judge. Wasn’t he a Republican ? I truly believe that if Obama, on a perfectly clear day, said the sky was blue, all these republican “talking heads” would find a way to disagree about the “shade” of blue. I don’t think all these “talking heads” dislike the selection, I believe they dislike Obama so ANYTHING he does they are gonna find fault with. I am NOT an Obama fan, but until I can read the book, I am not going to judge the cover.
itstrue
May 27th, 2009
1:24 pm
There’s a double standard for saying racial stuff because there’s a double standard for *being* one race or another.
There is a value to having someone who isn’t an old white guy making some of the decisions some of the time. Keeps them from looking out exclusively for the interest of other old white guys.
Newt’s thinking is that it’s all the same for everyone, and if they were just a little more like him, they’d see how fair and just the world really is. I grew up a white guy in a sea of minorities and got called all kinds of racial stuff, knowing all along that I’d get messed up royally for reciprocating. But at the end of the day, it was easier for me to go to get sympathy from the teacher, and today it’s easier for me get a job… it’s just not an equal arrangement.
It’s easy from the position of a well-to-do white male to say it’s all the same, but it’s just plain not.
I saw Newt give a speech on health reform where he preached personal responsibility and self control as central to the obesity epidemic. I agree, but this was coming from a fat man. Talk about a double standard. Steak for me. Salad for you.
PeachState.com
May 27th, 2009
1:24 pm
Watching Obama pick another racist for the SCOTUS is like watching a dog return to it’s vomit.
It’s what racist presidents and dogs do.
AH
May 27th, 2009
1:25 pm
Newt is right.
So what is this article about then? Why are people upset by what was said? Are we all suppose to just stop talking and debating just because a democrat is in the White House? Why is there still so much anger coming from the left, you have the house, senate and the White House? Are you afraid that people discussing issues will cause them to not like what is going on in this country now?
Karen
May 27th, 2009
1:25 pm
Here’s the entire quote. “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
Sonia Sotomayor
I think Newt is taking this out of context. It’s easy to block portions of anything and make it into what one wants it to be. All of us have a background of experiences and socialization that comes to play in the decisions we make. People, we can’t all have done the same things! Our cultural/social differences are what makes our country so interesting. Besides, Newt and is ilk are becoming increasingly discombobulated over the demise of their version of America.
Got it!
May 27th, 2009
1:25 pm
I can’t believe the number of responses so far that simply REFUSE (or are too stupid) to realize and admit this woman is racist and not a good fit for the job.
Or, you can just keep your heads in the sand and complain when a different racist finally says something you don’t like. What a pitiful double-standard!
dave
May 27th, 2009
1:25 pm
Keith – you want “progressives” to be honest? You may want to seek help, you are delusional. Won’t happen, somehow, someway, they missed where Dr. King said the part about “the content of the character, not the color of their skin.”
Jim Warren from Marietta
May 27th, 2009
1:26 pm
Typical lib intolerance of anyone who disagrees or points out a valid statement to question…. Make it personal. The judge made the statement, not Mr. Gingrich. He commented on THAT.
Nat Turner
May 27th, 2009
1:26 pm
No George, you’re not a racist. I started carrying my gun 45 years ago everytime I went OUTSIDE the city of Atlanta to protect myself from REDNECK HOODLUMS and cowardly lynch mobs..
Unborn Baby
May 27th, 2009
1:27 pm
Please don’t abort me.
George American
May 27th, 2009
1:27 pm
Mr. Krabs,
I will only be apart of your so-called “gun violence problem” if the “violence” comes toward my “gun.” Although the “violence” will will not be a “problem” for me.
It will be nice to have one less “problem” on the street, in the airport, or in the mall….
findthemoron
May 27th, 2009
1:27 pm
Well, first of all I’d like to thank all the Obama voters. Thank you for taking us closer to the end of America as we know it. Socialism, racism, unionism, paybackism, and all the other isms that I did not list. Pandering to the hispanic vote. For how long? It is easy, if a white male said all the same typpe quotes “she” has made, it would be straight to the curb. I also believe that if it was a black person who made who made these comments that they would also be kicked to the curb. Only because “she” is Obama’s pick, “she gets a free pass. Why would any rational American not want a judge who would make and decide law, that was based on law? In the future, I believe thata majority of Americans will find that the perfect one was not so perfect.
Kumberland
May 27th, 2009
1:28 pm
Newt is right on the dollar; her comments are repulsive and if a white man had said the same thing about a minority, the liberals would be all over his case like flys on %%$#@!!!!
Now minorities are moving up in the economic and social world and doing the same discriminating as the oppressive white man, what hypocrites .
Ry
May 27th, 2009
1:29 pm
I can’t wait until white males become the minority….then we can take advantage of affirmative action and get a job over a better qualified black, latina, etc. Apparently racism is perfectly fine as long as it is displayed by someone that is non-white.
Big Picture
May 27th, 2009
1:29 pm
It doesn’t matter what Newt said. What matters is what she said. If a white had spoken those words in reverse, the outcry would be deafening. Bottom line. But it was a stroke of genius by Obama to select her. If the Republicans oppose her, they are racist. If they support her, they lose the base. So we Republicans will lose either way. But we are destined to become a much smaller party as we stand by our principles.
Eric
May 27th, 2009
1:30 pm
Why would anyone with a smidgen of a brain give a flying freak what Newt Gingrich thinks…or says? For someone who’s allegedly smart, he sure seems to be a moron!
bobfromCanton
May 27th, 2009
1:30 pm
A judge is meant to be an umpire or referee. They all know the rules or the laws and they interpret them not based on religion, sex, nationality, or whatever baseball/football/soccer team they are for. That is why Lady Justice has the blindfold on! Justice should be dealt no matter whose side/team you are on, only according to the rules!
HEDGEPRUNER
May 27th, 2009
1:30 pm
THWG !!!!! 45-42
Mya
May 27th, 2009
1:31 pm
Is this little monkey still talking? Doesn’t he have a wife sick with cancer he needs to deliver divorce papers to or something?
CW
May 27th, 2009
1:31 pm
For centuries the wealthy and powerful were dominated by white males. Her point is that a minority, a woman from humble beginnings has decidely different experiences than white males who traditionally dominated the power structures of the U.S. One of the key roles of the Surpeme Court is to protect minorities from majority oppression (civil rights, women’s suffrage, voters rights, workers’ rights, separation of church and state, etc.). That does not make her a racist, it makes her different and allows for greater diversity of thought, deliberation and opinion in the Supreme Court.
dave
May 27th, 2009
1:31 pm
Kbarb help me understand your statement “amazing lack of support Newt’s Repubs have shown to minority communities for decades” I think the rest of “Repubs” would enjoy you describing what that “looks like”! But be careful, you will be telling us far more about yourself then us.
Cracker
May 27th, 2009
1:31 pm
The Spanish were the minority when they conquered most of Central and South America and enslaved the “Indians”… So, that means the “Indians” were racist because they were a majority? So…then wait.. so, what does that make a “Latina” ? Are they a majority in Central and South America? So they are racist there? Are they a mix of Spanish and “Indians”? So the more Spanish blood they have, the less racist they are? Wow, this is really confusing…
If I can take a moment of your time, can some of you activists do something about the lack of white running backs in the NFL? The ratio of white running backs does not reflect the fanbase… it makes me feel dis-in-french-fried or something… I am pretty sure George Bush is responsible for this along with Global Warming and the assisination of Arch Duke Ferdinand….
Ry
May 27th, 2009
1:32 pm
Maybe we should go ahead and start up the NAAWP and have them shake down corporations.
DX
May 27th, 2009
1:32 pm
Where is this NEWT dude ? I have a witches brew recipe & I need one of his eyes. I bet it will cure his mental illness !!!!
LookClosely
May 27th, 2009
1:33 pm
In my opinion this comment can be strewn as racist but there is also another side to it I would like to propose. Let me just play devil’s advocate and state what she may have meant. She may have meant that her experiences as a DOUBLE minority, who has succeeded beyond any of our wildest dreams, provide her with the depth to see things quite differently than we who have sat at the top. She may have meant that we who have always “sat” at the top could not understand fully the view of someone who had only her imagination of sitting at the top to make it. Could you imagine being in a position where you have never seen anyone of your liking in a SIGNIFICANT leadership position and believing you can make it there? All she may have been saying is that this experience provides here with a vantage point that allows her to make more enlightened and COMPASSIONATE decisions. What say you?
Jim Warren from Marietta
May 27th, 2009
1:33 pm
Nice Mya. Very intelligent.
Judie
May 27th, 2009
1:34 pm
I just wish most of you would LEARN TO SPELL before you make your comments. You don’t appear to be intelligent enough to even make those remarks.
HEDGEPRUNER
May 27th, 2009
1:35 pm
45- 42 UGA SUX
TS
May 27th, 2009
1:36 pm
Does this mean we should appoint an old white man to the sup court to oversee all the corporate corruption cases? They probably have more experience in dealing with those people since they grew up in the same neighborhoods they did. Let’s tap an old white guy that grew up in Conneticut to oversee the Madoff case. Makes sense, right?
Zacko
May 27th, 2009
1:36 pm
Who is this guy now, anyway? “Former” speaker. Hmmm… Wasn’t he the one promoting the GOP’s “Contract with America” back in the day? Oh yeah, that’s who he was…
JeremyfromGainesville
May 27th, 2009
1:36 pm
<<< loves watching the republicans right now… Thank God my mother didn’t raise me to be that pompous.
Andy
May 27th, 2009
1:36 pm
As is normal, Newt, and politicians of all party stripes, generally speaking, are more interested in posturing than truth telling. What the judge was speaking about, if the entire statement is read, which I’m sure Newt has done, is that coming from a particular background gives meaningful perspective on certain judgments, not that Latinas are better than whites inherently, which is the definition of racism. (Listen to our own Neal Boortz who I have heard many, many times press that definition to slap down so called “libs” who call his show.) The ruling and over ruling of “separate but equal” is a prime example of how one’s perspective can bring wisdom to the law. I’m all for looking at her judgments truthfully to see if she has unfair bias in her rulings, so far, what I have seen, that has not been borne out by her record.
blackprix
May 27th, 2009
1:37 pm
OLD white men run the GOP … that’s why they lost their shirts the last election!
They lie about everything and better still HAVE NO GOOD PROGRESSIVE ideas for our ever-changing country.
They are losers and the label suits them well. I hope the continue their attack mode because all that going to do is cause further disconnect from a party that not only lost their way but has ruthless idiots running it!
George American
May 27th, 2009
1:37 pm
If any of the Rednecks or in-town Mall-monkeys front on me or my family, I will be happy to discuss “gun violence problems” and do a few demonstrations.
Rodney
May 27th, 2009
1:37 pm
Rush always complains about his quotes being taken out of context. Like that time he said “You know who deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor? James Earl Ray . We miss you, James. Godspeed”…… Here is a portion of the speech that contained the quote that has conservatives all riled up. This speech was was published by the way in the Berkeley La Raza Law Journal, a symposium issue entitled Raising the Bar: Latino and Latina Presence in the Judiciary and the Struggle for Representation.
Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, a possibility I abhor less or discount less than my colleague Judge Cedarbaum, our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging. Justice O’Connor has often been cited as saying that a wise old man and wise old woman will reach the same conclusion in deciding cases. I am not so sure Justice O’Connor is the author of that line since Professor Resnik attributes that line to Supreme Court Justice Coyle. I am also not so sure that I agree with the statement. First, as Professor Martha Minnow has noted, there can never be a universal definition of wise. Second, I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.
My2cents
May 27th, 2009
1:37 pm
Sotomayer seems to be a smart judge, but her comment about latina judges vs white judges, the richness of their experience, and who would be the wiser judge, is misguided. It’s certainly a discriminatory statement, if not racist. And it’s not a philosohy a prudent judge would adhere to when applying the law – and Sotomayor may not. She will probably make a fine Supreme, but that comment was wrongheaded and should be discussed during her confirmation. And if liberals don’t want to delve into basic jurisprudence like this during confirmation proces, they’re no better than the conservatives they dismiss. It’s time judicial confirmation returned to the inclusion of broad discussions on legal philosophy, not single issues like abortion.
Judie
May 27th, 2009
1:37 pm
Enter your comments here
David
May 27th, 2009
1:37 pm
I believe there is a far more rich experience in being a white male or female. Look at the supremely rich history of the white cultures around the world for hundreds of years. Excellent architecture, almost every single notable scientific discovery and movement (Asians excepted), the internet, banks, so and so on. The richness of caucasian culture is vastly superior to the ethnocentric mindgames needed to convince Sotomayor that she has something that doesn’t exist.
Homer S
May 27th, 2009
1:38 pm
I can’t wait until ALL NINE Supreme Court Justices are President Obama appointees! Woo-hoo!!!
Kumberland
May 27th, 2009
1:38 pm
Sotomayor asserted, “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life,”
She is playing the race card and this woman is suppose to be a impartial judge upholding the law for all Americans. Justice is blind but ……………
Nat Turner
May 27th, 2009
1:39 pm
RY; “I can’t wait until white males become the minority”…Nuff said…lol
George: Anytime, anywhere….I’ve got a JUDGE in my pocket waiting to sentance you.
CW
May 27th, 2009
1:39 pm
Dear Cracker, what nonsense. The Spanish were the oppressors. They gained and maintained power through force, very much as whites did in the U.S. Assuming the NFL is a meritocracy and not dominated by one group over another (most head coaches and owners are white), then the lack of white running backs would suggest that they are not good enough to win the position. The sloppiness of your thinking is astounding.
Tomhere
May 27th, 2009
1:39 pm
We will bury you.
DecaturDawg
May 27th, 2009
1:40 pm
Blackprix, don’t you need to go visit Dolla? Soon?
C
May 27th, 2009
1:40 pm
Loony lefties crack me up – they know Newt is right on this and start to bring up a bad PERSONAL problem he had around 15 years ago. Yet, when Bill Clinton was cheating on his wife in the oval office, we were told to leave that alone – it was a PERSONAL matter.
I never really liked Newt when he was in Congress. Basically he was a jerk. I will say that I have read and seen a lot about him in recent years and he has become a much more spiritual man and I believe he has changed a lot of the attributes I didn’t like. Regardless of all that, he is one of the most knowledgeable historians (actually knows things that can help us now) in this country and probably has the best understanding of anyone in polics right now of the constitution.
Judy
May 27th, 2009
1:41 pm
Judie @ 1:34 LEARN TO SPELL
Ferguson
May 27th, 2009
1:41 pm
Newt,
Please go somewhere, sit down and keep your mouth shut.
Tired Bravesfan
May 27th, 2009
1:42 pm
Remember, once confirmed she cant be removed. Did into her past and see, is this really what you want for your supreme court? I dont think I do.
Jose
May 27th, 2009
1:42 pm
Although Sotomayor’s statement was a statement that lacked a bit of tact:
“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
I think what is obviously understood is that there are certain things in society that may never be felt/experienced by non-minorities. Certain sensibilities need to be represented in a court which is something Sotomayor would bring. Newt and the farthest reaches of the Right are now taking this completely out-of-context. I am a latin voter that tends to vote on the Republican end of things, and I know there’s many republicans that don’t have their head in a ditch, but these guys are making it very difficult for me to identify with the party.
Bob
May 27th, 2009
1:43 pm
Racism is racism regardless of the source. She obviously has a racial ax to grind and should, as any other racisit would be required to, respond by saying no to the nomination. She won’t though, because to be a Latina racisit or a Black racist is not frowned upon by the media, they in point of fact endorse this type of racism, where similar remarks by a White would be trumpeted about as the worst thing anyone anywhere ever said.
Jack
May 27th, 2009
1:43 pm
Newt is right on this one folks. If the tables were turned she would be out in a skinny minute. There clearly has to be a better option. Dissappointed in Obama.
hop
May 27th, 2009
1:44 pm
the libs are having their day with such pathetic double standards that will bite them in the butt, so enjoy while you can becasue the failed policies of the past is what you are using today.
Because It Matters
May 27th, 2009
1:45 pm
Love it! Keep talking Newt and Rush, all of y’all! Republicans wrote off the African-American vote back in the 70’s..Nixon got over 30% of it…and now they’re doing the same with the Latino vote!
What better way to say “we want your vote” than to knock around the first Latina to be nominated to the court. And to use a quote from a very tough case, one in which SCOTUS even struggled to call her racist, along with bringing up her diabetes, and questioning her temperament (hello Justice Scalia?) and her intellect (Princeton Summa Cum Laude and Yale Law School) and what you have is a political party in denial about it’s political future.
President Obama isn’t in denial, and he just locked up a bunch of electoral votes for 2012! Keep talking and you’ll lose Texas too. Their Senator up for reelection has sense enough not to attack the nomination. With Georgia’s growing Latino population, this kind of talk only hastens the Republicans departure from power.Republicans can’t maintain power in any state for very long where it has written off 40% of the population. Dixie ain’t what it use to be folks.
Oh, and here’s another little secret…Asians are reliably Democratic too and they are growing fast too! And in 20 years, the country will be 40+% of , well you know…people who Republicans wrote off.
So Republicans,y’all keep the insults and the ridicule coming. Karma is a…well you know.
the truth...
May 27th, 2009
1:45 pm
C….you’re wrong….the Loony Lefties are ignorant and “can’t know’ what is right or wrong….they’re just stupid…and blinded by that ignorance….
Whipkey
May 27th, 2009
1:46 pm
For all you people who are giving opinions without reading anything more than the headlines and listening to talk shows, here is the quote in context. There is also a link to the full lecture if you want to see it.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/05/sotomayors-cont.html
This is just another case of the Republicans stirring up their largely uneducated and lazy base. Another reason that no educated, free thinker is still with this party…just the mindless followers.
Gandalf, the White! (!)
May 27th, 2009
1:46 pm
As a military man LTC you should know about the reverse racism that was rampant from the mid 80’s forward in the military. Or are you a recepient of that reverse racism and ignore it?
JW
May 27th, 2009
1:46 pm
It has been over 40 years since MLK made his famous speech and racism began to be addressed, yet we still blame the other race for all of our ancestors’ mistakes. I am 33 years old and never lived through the severe racism, but I am sick and tired of being blamed for it! I have never lived on a plantation, I have never owned slaves, and I have never treated anyone any differently unless they earned it through their actions or words.
This new “judge” has earned these comments. She made them on tape loud and clear, and this connot be disputed by anyone. But, these blanket comments about “white men” being the reason the world is messed up is just idiotic. I guess the Jesse Jacksons of the black race or the Bin Laden’s of the middle eastern race haven’t effected this world at all.
Gandalf, the White! (!)
May 27th, 2009
1:46 pm
Allison is an ignorant slut, alway has been always will be.
Because It Matters
May 27th, 2009
1:47 pm
Black racist is not frowned upon by the media
Oh really, and how did things work out for Rev. Wright?
OMG
May 27th, 2009
1:48 pm
Thanks Ralph and Karen
Wendy
May 27th, 2009
1:48 pm
Gingrich, Limbaugh and republicans take the bait…again! This is too good! Great strategy by Obama to define the republicans as the party of old white men! This is tooooooooo good! Keep it up, Gingrich, Cheney, Limbaugh….you are doing a GREAT job! I can see latino’s and, well, anyone who isn’t OLD and LILY WHITE coming to the democrats in DROVES! yes!
Chuck
May 27th, 2009
1:48 pm
Newt, and the rest of the Right Wing, are taking one line from a speech and using it in a context that it was not intended.
Here is a much longer text of her speech:
“Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, a possibility I abhor less or discount less than my colleague Judge Cedarbaum, our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging. Justice O’Connor has often been cited as saying that a wise old man and wise old woman will reach the same conclusion in deciding cases…I am not so sure that I agree with the statement. First, as Professor Martha Minnow has noted, there can never be a universal definition of wise. Second, I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.
Let us not forget that wise men like Oliver Wendell Holmes and Justice Cardozo voted on cases which upheld both sex and race discrimination in our society. Until 1972, no Supreme Court case ever upheld the claim of a woman in a gender discrimination case. I, like Professor Carter, believe that we should not be so myopic as to believe that others of different experiences or backgrounds are incapable of understanding the values and needs of people from a different group. Many are so capable. As Judge Cedarbaum pointed out to me, nine white men on the Supreme Court in the past have done so on many occasions and on many issues including Brown [vs. Board of Education].
However, to understand takes time and effort, something that not all people are willing to give. For others, their experiences limit their ability to understand the experiences of others. Other simply do not care. Hence, one must accept the proposition that a difference there will be by the presence of women and people of color on the bench. Personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see. My hope is that I will take the good from my experiences and extrapolate them further into areas with which I am unfamiliar. I simply do not know exactly what that difference will be in my judging. But I accept there will be some based on my gender and my Latina heritage.”
And then, I also say this. President Obama can’t get up and brush his teeth in the morning without Newt Gingrich critizing him on Tweeter. Newt criticized him the whole time during the days when the Somali pirates were holding the American captain hostage. Then, when President Obama gave the authorization for the SEALs to take them out, he barely acknowledged it.
So, who really cares what Newt Gingrich thinks anymore?
Real American Progress
May 27th, 2009
1:48 pm
Newt, Rush, Hannity, and the rest keep opposing progress, which is the true conservative legacy. Just look at their historical positions on slavery, civil rights, womens rights and their position on immigration. The list is long and ever growing. The people fighting the conservative positions have and will always be the true American heroes.
jms
May 27th, 2009
1:49 pm
William, this is for you…
Here’s the entire quote. “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
Sonia Sotomayor
And that’s still racist.
Alyson
May 27th, 2009
1:50 pm
Since we still live in a white man’s world a white man saying something like that would be saying that they only see the world where they are in power. A Latina woman saying that says that she sees the world not just as one where she is in power but where there are biases and unfairness so she can understand people’s struggles in obstacles and she can reason a case from many angles. We have broken down many barriers but please don’t think that there is reverse racism- she isn’t saying anything racist against men of any color- just recognizing that she has had to overcome many more stereotypes to get where she is and in so doing is able to recognize the world in a different and perhaps more complex way.
James S
May 27th, 2009
1:51 pm
I’m black and Newt makes a good point. It’s pretty obvious. This isn’t 1960. We can admit racism by all races now.
Debbie
May 27th, 2009
1:51 pm
2012 is coming folks – Obama is the antichrist – believe it!