Sunday, May 31, 2009

Kay Bailey: Keep it Respectful

Well last week we got to hear the junior senator from Texas become the voice of reason on the NPR radio show “All Things Considered” as he begged to disagree with the RNC (Rush Newt Cheney) chorus of hate and bile as they laid into Judge Sonia Sotomayor for being a racist.

Of their remarks he said this:

“I think it's terrible... This is not the kind of tone any of us want to set when it comes to performing our constitutional responsibilities of advice and consent. Neither one of these men [Limbaugh and Gingrich] are elected Republican officials. I just don't think it's appropriate. I certainly don't endorse it. I think it's wrong.”

Then today his partner in crime Senior Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison echoed Cornyn’s words with her own take on the Sotomayor nomination:

From AP:

“I definitely think we need to have the respectful tone and we need to look at the record. We need to have the responsibilities that have been put on us by the Constitution taken very seriously.”

Implying of course that the remarks of Limbaugh, Gingrich, Rove et al. were not respectful and were not to be taken seriously.

And this has apparently sparked a fury in the rabid right as comments posted at the Houston Chronicle’s website revealed.

“Sounds as though Hutchison is selling out to the illegal Hispanic vote. Is there no one left that represents Americans?”

“If Sonia Sotomayor's behavior had been respectful there wouldn't be a problem now. Her in your face, arrogant, racist rhetoric needs to be addressed. Everybody's personal story is rather unique. What qualifies a Latina woman to be a better judge than anyone? Could Kay Bailey Hutchison answer this question for me?”

“Well, first off, her "life experiences" should play no part in her decisions. Save that for Dr Phil. Secondly her statements on race would disqualify her to serve as a juror, and you want her to serve on the highest court in the land? NO WAY JOSE”

So it has become obvious to me that not only is John Cornyn trying to court a few more Hispanic votes after having chased them all away in 2008 with his border fence (I was for having one before I was against having one) nonsense but it is also clear to me that Kay Bailey has all but written off the right wing in her quest to replace Governor Rick Perry on the ballot in November 2010.

And rightly so.

After all, the rabid teabagging right of the Grand Obsolete Party is what Governor Perry refers to when he says the words “My base.”

Perry has all of those votes locked in anyway, so why not reach out to the Hispanic vote by looking like a reasonable person willing to listen, judge, and then vote to confirm the first Latina Supreme Court justice?

Barring any surprises, this thing is a done deal, so there is no upside to looking like an obstructionist from the Party of No.

I am going to put Kay Bailey’s vote to confirm in the Aye column. As for John Cornyn it is anyone’s guess because when it comes to issues of an Hispanic nature, John Cornyn changes his mind about as often as I change my socks.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

All your points are well taken.

Since you mentioned Perry, I'll say this: When did we get into this habit of having high level officials like Governors and former President and former Vice President hold office with long silent periods of “not” talking to us, the American Citizen about matters of relevancy? Yet, when they do speak, they come out from the shadows to engage in rhetoric which only appeals to their base, and to hell with the rest of us.

I ain't trying to hear what John Cornyn is saying a’tall since he spoke in favor of "not" accepting the stimulus package. I quit listening to anything that he has to say because it bespeaks the same old party line, “callousness to the needs of the people”.

If Kay Bailey is speaking reasonably, then that is a good thing. God knows the Republicans need someone who can speak with reason. Plus, if Bailey continues to speak with reason, it would certainly be to her benefit if she is planning to make a serious run for Governor.