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Top Republican calls Limbaugh, Gingrich comments ‘terrible’ — (CNN) — A top Senate Republican is taking aim at recent statements from conservative commentators Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich suggesting Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is a “racist.”
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Republicans, Let's Play Grown-Up — Sotomayor's hearings are an opportunity for serious debate. — Printer — Friendly — “Let's play grown-up.” When I was a child, that's what we said when we ran out of things to do like playing potsie or throwing rocks in the vacant lot.


Sotomayor's Sharp Tongue Raises Issue of Temperament — WASHINGTON — Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, has a blunt and even testy side, and it was on display in December at an argument before the full federal appeals court in New York.
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The Politico, Wall Street Journal, Christy Hardin Smith, CBS News, USA Today, PoliGazette, CNN, The Hill, Shakesville, Los Angeles Times, Sisyphus Shrugged, Althouse, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, ImmigrationProf Blog, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Taylor Marsh, Bench Memos, Macsmind, Commentary, Gawker, Election Law, TPMDC, TalkLeft, How Appealing, The Volokh Conspiracy and McClatchy Washington Bureau

A Republican Response to Sonia Sotomayor: Criticize, Then Confirm — Sonia Sotomayor has a classic American story. So does Frank Ricci. — Ricci is a New Haven firefighter stationed seven blocks from where Sotomayor went to law school (Yale). Raised in blue-collar Wallingford, Conn. …
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American Prospect, The Daily Dish, The Plum Line, Balkinization, Bench Memos and Law Blog


Senators Offer Competing Views Of Sotomayor — · Judge Sonia Sotomayor is expected to begin making courtesy visits next week to Senate leaders and members of the Judiciary Committee who will conduct hearings on her nomination to the Supreme Court. — NPR talked with two committee members …

Barnes: Sotomayor ‘benefited’ from affirmative action ‘tremendously.’ — On MSNBC yesterday, Pat Buchanan repeatedly attacked Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor as an “affirmative action candidate,” echoing right-wing claims that she has “been the recipient of preferential treatment for most of her life.”

Political Insiders Poll — Q: Would it be politically smart for Republicans to try to block the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor? — Democrats (92 votes) — Yes 8% No 89% Depends 3% — Yes — “It's their only way to appear relevant.

The Empathy Issue — The American legal system is based on a useful falsehood. It's based on the falsehood that this is a nation of laws, not men; that in rendering decisions, disembodied, objective judges are able to put aside emotion and unruly passion and issue opinions on the basis of pure reason.

On the NRSC Endorsement — Thanks very much to Sen. Cornyn for his willingness to reach out to us on this issue. — Erick — Two and a half years ago, the Republican Party suffered a major blow in the 2006 midterm elections as the Democrats regained control of Congress and began laying …

Tancredo: Sotomayor Is A Member Of The ‘Latino KKK Without The Hoods Or The Nooses’


HOT — Lady Gaga and Small Wars Journal. Both hot. But don't take my word for it. Rolling Stone: … Yeah, well, anyone with a Y chromosome can see the chick with the Phyllis Diller fright wig and the bubble bikini is hot. * Glad to see RS is getting hip to how hot Small Wars can be.
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Bush: ‘The information we got saved lives’ — BENTON HARBOR, Michigan (CNN) - Former President George W. Bush on Thursday repeated Dick Cheney's assertion that their enhanced interrogation program was legal and garnered valuable information that prevented future terrorist attacks.
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Bush defends policies, stays out of argument
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CBS News, Macsmind, No More Mister Nice Blog, Right Wing News, Connecting.the.Dots and Truthdig

Netanyahu: “What the hell do they want from me?” — Last night, shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told journalists that the Obama administration “wants to see a stop to settlements — not some settlements, not outposts, not natural growth exceptions,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a confidante.
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Obama Continues to Press Israel to Freeze Settlement Activity
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Obsidian Wings

The Big Inflation Scare — Suddenly it seems as if everyone is talking about inflation. Stern opinion pieces warn that hyperinflation is just around the corner. And markets may be heeding these warnings: Interest rates on long-term government bonds are up, with fear of future inflation …


Brenda Lee, Reporter, Dragged Kicking And Screaming From Near Air Force One — LOS ANGELES — A writer for a small Georgia newspaper who wanted to give President Barack Obama a letter was forcibly removed from a press area near Air Force One on Thursday shortly before he arrived at the airport.
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Kicking & Screaming: Journo Dragged From Near AF1
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Moe Lane, Newsbroke, FishBowlDC, Joe. My. God., Instapundit, American Power, Hot Air, Raw Story, Stop The ACLU, INSTAPUTZ and Riehl World View

Slaughter in Sri Lanka — Evidence gathered by The Times has revealed that at least 20,000 Tamils were killed on the beach by shelling as the army closed in on the Tigers — “Deeply disappointing” was how a human rights group yesterday described the vote in the United Nations Human Rights Council hailing …
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Give Montana Girls a Chance — A reader vents: Derb — I've been hoping that someone might be bold enough to rain on the Sotomayor “compelling life story” parade. The woman grew up in the capital of the world, went to two Ivy League schools, and was blessed by Providence …
Discussion:
The League of Ordinary …, alicublog, pandagon.net, Jules Crittenden and Talking Points Memo

Obama Approval Compares Favorably to Prior Presidents — Only three presidents since Eisenhower have had higher May ratings — PRINCETON, NJ — So far in May, Barack Obama has averaged 65% job approval. Since World War II, only three of the previous eight presidents elected to their first terms …

Nader: McAuliffe Offered Money To Avoid Key States in '04 Race — Former presidential candidate Ralph Nader went public Thursday with an allegation that Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Terry McAuliffe offered his campaign money to stay off the ballot in key states during the 2004 elections …