Because they're probably not looking forward to hearing reporters say, "I'd like to get your reaction

Yeah, like that might happen.

as much as i imagined/anticipated the gop meltdown over the ascendance of a black man to the white house, i really did not anticipate this level of outright mysogynistic, racist crazy from such high-profile republicans (well, excepting that pill-popping radio pig).

and i am thoroughly enjoying it.

How are we missing the female take-down by one G. Gordon Liddy? When responsible females in the RePubican Party recognize that they are being included in the smear against Sotomayor, they may speak out.

Because she bleeds, or may have bled, she is not capable of critical thought? And, we are allowing these PMS-driven women to raise our sons and daughters, teach in schools, nurse in hospitals, serve in the military with loaded weapons, fly airplanes? My God, what are we thinking? Do any of these female haters have women in their lives who countenance this thinking? I wonder what women with any self-esteem have to say about husbands/lovers/partners/associates who think like this.

I am committed to Oneness through Justice and Transformation
peace,
st john

And the soundbites are being collected now for the next batch of political ads. Keep talking GOP.

Sosa certainly knows what makes the Hispanic voter tick

Mr. Benen, could share YOUR views on what make Hispanics tick? What do they all believe, think, like, dislike etc. that makes them different from whites and blacks and Asians? How do they like to be treated, what should we feed them? Let's have your full analysis.

Otherwise, stop trying to lend credence to such racist garbage.

Of course, Henry Bonilla couldn't help himself and had to equate what his side has been saying to the evil "liberals".

"...At the end of the day, people will see [these remarks] for what they are. And realize that this is nothing new coming from various opinionated people on the conservative side. It is nothing different than what comes from the liberal side."

Really, Mr. Bonilla? This is "nothing different" than what comes from the liberal side? So when liberals defend people of Hispanic descent against a xenophobe like Tancredo who most recently said that La Raza is like the KKK, it is the same as Limbaugh and Gingrich calling Sotomayor a racist for saying that her experiences will help shape her decision-making on the bench? Just shut up.

TruthfulCitizen:
Steven Benen didn't write that passage about "what makes Hispanic voters tick." Sam Stein of the Huffington Post did. If you have any questions for him, I suggest you direct them his way instead of appearing not to understand a block citation from another article with an embedded link that precedes it.

In terms of Rove and Gingrich, both have held very high positions in the government, very difficult to say they don't speak for the party. The repubs are going to have to admit, as some of the elected officials seem to get, that they just got out maneuvered by Obama. She's getting confirmed, she's smart and qualified and a 'minority' on two counts. You can't win, all you can do is lose and alienate even more independents. Keep talking, we may have to change the cloture vote from 60 to 70.

Ben,

Understood all that perfectly, but thanks anyway! Try re-reading what I said slowly and you'll see that I said Benen was "lending credence" to the "what makes Hispanics tick" meme, not that he was the author of those particular words. Oh, and yes, yes he did very much lend credence to them. Didn't condemn them, certainly, like any decent person would when confronted with a racial epithet or a "they're all alike to me" slur. Instead, he lent credence to by saying "yep, the Republican got a Hispanic problem because all them people get offended when someone attacks one of their own."

You do at least agree that Sam Stein us a racist, don't you?

Please, please Rush, Newt, et al. Continue your racial attacks! SOMETHING has to be done about the GOP's dismal 20% approval rating with the voters. We've just got to get this approval rating down into the teens or single digits as we move closer to the 2010 elections! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Yeah, well... Bill Clinton isn't a Democratic official, but when he said some negative things about Obama last year, I don't recall that Republicans made delicate distinctions between 'activists' and 'officials'.

"You do at least agree that Sam Stein [is] a racist, don't you?"

No.

However, I do believe that TruthfulCitizen is a sanctimonious twit who unfairly reads much more into a largely innocuous phrase than would someone possessing a less extreme level of sanctimonious twittitude.

Is it just me, or have others noticed the new Republican branding is turning out to be nothing more than Whack-A-Mole! Not much future political currency in that strategy - good luck to them! -Kevo

Once again, I ask where the women are on this issue? Is not Judge Sotomayor also a woman, besides being a Latina (a Latina is a woman, after all)? And, isn't her intellect being questioned as a woman as well as a/an Hispanic? I have heard a few clips of her speaking, and I find her extremely intelligent and well-spoken. What she is being criticized for, if spoken by a white male or even a white female, would receive little, if any scrutiny. I am white, male, and have been all my life. I'm sure that my opinions are also driven by my history and environment. Show me someone who doesn't have a bias, and I'll show you God.

I am committed to Oneness through Justice and Transformation
peace,
st john

Really? So how did it work to their detriment when the socialists (Democrats) likened Estrada and other GOP nominated hispanics to all that was evil? Hypocrisy reigns!

BTW- Sotomayor is a racist as is La Raza.

Well, that's the problem when you let unelected officials who have nothing to lose become the symbols of your party.

Think about it....Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, Michael Steele, Dick Cheney, Sean Hannity....none of them are elected officials, and none of them have anything to lose by speaking out.

TruthfulCitizen:
To debate you would be an exercise in futility, as it seems you do not understand the context of what Stein was saying. How is it racist to say that a Hispanic person who is an experienced GOP strategist and media adviser knows what Hispanic voters think, i.e. "what makes Hispanic voters tick"? The guy makes his living conducting polls, interpreting polls, and talking to Hispanics to find out how the GOP can successfully reach out to them. This individual is one of many on both sides of the aisle who do their best to try to discern what voters are thinking, and some specialize in certain demographics. It appears that Stein was giving the readers some non-harmful background information on Mr. Sosa and how his quotes regarding the Sotomayor backlash are not just the quotes of some random guy. Sosa knows that it can be damaging to the GOP's chances to get the Hispanic vote.

the gop could lose florida for a while if they don't cool it....

Beth Reinhard and Lesley Clark | McClatchy Newspapers

Caller after caller to a radio show popular in Central Florida's booming Puerto Rican community gushed Tuesday over President Barack Obama's decision to nominate one of their own to the nation's highest court.

Even the Republicans.

"I thought partisan lines would prevail, but they did not," said the show's host, Fernando Miguel Negron, who endorsed Obama last year but has supported Republican candidates. "There's a saying in Puerto Rico that our coffee may be sour, but it's our coffee, and I think that's what it is in a nutshell. People may disagree with some of her views but they can identify with her."

The overwhelming response during Negron's four-hour show to Sonia Sotomayor and her inspiring story — from Bronx housing project to Yale Law School to federal appellate judge — illustrates the challenge her nomination poses for the Republican party, which is struggling to make up the ground lost with Hispanic voters during heated battles over immigration reform.

Miami's Ninoska Perez Castellon, a frequent and fierce Obama critic, said of Sotomayor on her Spanish-language radio show: "Only in America."

"As a Cuban you have to feel proud," Perez Castellon, a founder of the conservative Cuban Liberty Council, said in an interview. "It should be an inspiration to women and to all of us who came here from different countries, especially Hispanics."

During the campaign, Obama visited Kissimmee, hub of Central Florida's fast-growing Puerto Rican community. That investment paid off when Hispanic voters statewide favored the Democratic presidential nominee for the first time in decades.

"Otherwise, stop trying to lend credence to such racist garbage."

Yes, it's obviously racist or prejudicial for anyone to assert that ethnic or racial groups differ in their need for nutritious food, clean water and air, access to affordable and high-quality medical care and educational opportunities. However, if you're trying to also assert that the specific interests of low-income African-Americans in Detroit, high-income whites in Grosse Pointe, recent Asian immigrants in Seattle, and long-time Hispanic residents of San Antonio are all identical, then you're living in some bizarre fantasyland. Even the GOP recognizes that.

"Once again, I ask where the women are on this issue?"

Well, st john, many of them might be getting ready to vote with their feet. The GOP's smears of Sotomayor are no doubt going to damage its standing with women as well as overall with Latinos. Here are some poll results--look at the massive gender gap among Republicans.

www.pollster.com/blogs/omero_update_on_sotomayor_poll.php

"Sotomayor is a racist as is La Raza."

F: Lest we think you're an ignorant moron, please inform us what racist acts Ronald Reagan committed in order to receive this praise from La Raza on the occasion of his death in June, 2004:

STATEMENT OF RAUL YZAGUIRRE, NCLR PRESIDENT, ON PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN

Washington, DC – "The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) extends its condolences to former First Lady Nancy Reagan, the Reagan family, and the millions of Americans who today are mourning the death of our 40th President, Ronald Reagan. President Reagan’s boundless optimism and his unshakable faith in what this country is – and what it could be – resonated deeply with many in the Hispanic community. After all, Ronald Reagan was responsible for the first Hispanic Cabinet member in our nation’s history, when he appointed Lauro Cavazos as Secretary of Education in 1988.

Hispanics also appreciated that President Reagan’s vision of America as a beacon of hope and opportunity for all included immigrants, millions of whom he helped to become Americans. Not only did he sign the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) – which included two highly- controversial legalization programs – into law in 1986, his administration worked diligently to implement these programs.

It may not be widely known but the nation’s largest and most successful antipoverty program – the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – was also created in tax reform legislation signed by President Reagan. After a subsequent major expansion successfully promoted by President Clinton, the credit is now worth more than $1,800 to the more than one-third of low-wage working Hispanic households who benefit from the EITC.

But my main memories of President Reagan are about the man himself. He was always courteous, even “courtly,� in his dealings with people from all walks of life. In this sense, he exuded respeto – respect – in a way that connected powerfully with the Latino community. Many of those involved in the highly partisan, divisive debates that characterize all too many issues today might benefit from following his example.

We may not have always agreed with the Reagan Administration’s policies, but there is no question that President Reagan had a profound influence and impact on the American political process, the nation, and the world. May he rest in peace."

"the socialists (Democrats) likened Estrada and other GOP nominated hispanics to all that was evil? Hypocrisy reigns!"

F: OK, you convinced me: you're an ignorant moron. If you had the brains or the inclination to actually find out the facts, here's what you would have found:

Democrats voted to confirm 12 Hispanic candidates nominated by President Bush to the federal courts. Senate Democrats swiftly confirmed six Latino judicial nominees chosen by President Bush -- Christina Armijo (NM), Judge Phillip Martinez (TX), Randy Crane (TX), Judge Jose Martinez (FL), Magistrate Judge Alia Ludlum (TX), and Jose Linares (NJ). Democrats also unanimously supported the confirmation of six other Latino judicial nominees -- Edward Prado (5th Circuit), Consuelo Callahan (9th Circuit), S. James Otero (CA), Cecilia Altonaga (FL), Xavier Rodriguez (TX), and Frank Rodriguez Montalvo (TX).

Democrats voted to confirm 2 of the 3 Latinos nominated by President Bush for the appellate courts who were reported to the full Senate. Democrats supported the appointment of 11 Latinos nominated by President Clinton to the appellate courts, but Republicans blocked 3 of them. Of the 12 Latino appellate judges currently seated in the federal courts, 8 were appointed by President Clinton and 2 (Prado and Callahan) were nominated by President Bush and confirmed with unanimous Democratic support.

Democrats have blocked the confirmation of only one Hispanic judicial nominee of President Bush, Mr. Estrada, who refused to answer many questions of the Senate and whose writings the Bush Administration refused to provide, despite ample precedent for sharing such writings. His ethnicity was not the reason he was opposed and, in fact, numerous Latino groups and leaders also opposed him, including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute, and the William C. Velasquez Institute.

Republicans blocked 3 Latino nominees of President Clinton to the appellate courts from ever receiving a vote: Enrique Moreno, who Clinton nominated to the 5th Circuit; Jorge Rangel, who Clinton nominated to the 5th Circuit; and Christine Arguello, who Clinton nominated to the 10th Circuit. In addition, Republicans refused to allow votes on three of President Clinton’s district court nominees, Ricardo Morado, R. Samuel Paz, and Anabelle Rodriguez.

I realize it's unpleasant having all this information directly refute the nice little fantasy you've been fed that Democrats were opposed to all of Bush's Hispanic nominations and that the Republicans have been reliable supporters of all Hispanic nominees, but life is hard if you're stupid.

"Because they're probably not looking forward to hearing reporters say, "I'd like to get your reaction to the following ridiculous attacks your Republican brethren have directed at Hispanics this week....""

Ahhh, Steve. You're an optimist. No 'reporter' will ever ask that question.

How is it racist to say that a Hispanic person who is an experienced GOP strategist and media adviser knows what Hispanic voters think, i.e. "what makes Hispanic voters tick"?

Uh . . . perhaps because you're attaching some special significance the fact that the media adviser is a "Hispanic person," and that there's something special and difference about what "Hispanic voters think" as opposed to everyone else?

Ben, you do know what racism is, don't you? DON'T YOU????

Anyway, because it's clear that you and Mr. Stein clearly embrace racism, please explain what Hispanic persons believe, think, like, dislike etc. that makes them different from whites and blacks and Asians, and how do they like to be treated, what should we feed them? Maybe you could share with us Mr. Sosa's special "Hispanic" knowledge.

This continued right wing hysteria--eg truthful citizen--is going to play out for a long time. Its like watching a child pick up a new word--in this case "racism" and apply it to everything in the world, triumphantly. "Look mom, that cat is racist! that car is racist! that soap is racist!" Its cute when a child does it, because we know that they will grow out of thinking that words have a magical power and they will also begin to learn to use the dictionary and higher order reasoning. But its sad when an adult does it. Sadder still when a whole party does it.

It is not racist to observe that there exist different classes, races, and religions in this country. Its not sexist for a woman to call herself "a woman" and its not sexist and racist for a latina woman to call herself a "latina"--anymore than it is religiously bigoted for me to call myself a buddhist. Its just a descriptor.

There are voting blocs in this country, composed of people who share certain outlooks, needs, and political histories. Its no more racist for the republicans to hire a hispanic outreach co-ordinator than it is racist for the census to collect information on races in this country. Its just a recognition of a fact on the ground. If it doesn't pan out politically--if there is no such voting bloc--then the outreach will fail. But there's a pretty good reason that political parties don't do outreach to "people with freckles on their left hand" or "people who keep pictures of their grade school friends"--because those are distinctions that don't generally track with voting behavior. Its not racist to acknowledge that people have different histories and cultures. Its racist to try to insist that there is no such thing as race, culture, or history and that everyone has to think and walk and talk exactly like a white guy to have their experiences count.

aimai

Ahh, TruthfulCitizen is back, as naive, dense and self-righteous as ever.

There are many cultural differences between various Hispanic ethnicities and "whites and blacks and Asians," however much it might make TC feel all tingly inside to shout "racist" at anyone who acknowledges this reality.

As a minor example, Sotomayor herself says, “For me, a very special part of my being Latina is the mucho platos de arroz, gandoles y pernir--rice, beans and pork--that I have eaten at countless family holidays and special events.� And don't forget the patitas de cerdo con garbanzo--pigs’ feet with chickpeas.

TC's twaddle reminds me of an incident from college, where this well-intentioned (I suppose) but not very bright white guy got himself arrested after making a big public stink at his one-man demonstration. He was pissed that some "racist" professor dared to posit that there was such a thing as "black culture" that differed in some respects from mainstream American culture. He saw himself as idealistic, but he was really just being patronizing.

Aimai, JK,

Please explain what Hispanic persons believe, think, like, dislike etc. that makes them different from whites and blacks and Asians, and how do they like to be treated, what should we feed them?

Oh, wait, JK DID tell us what to feed them -- they all like mucho platos de arroz, gandoles y pernir. Shoot, my favorite dishes are chicken korma and kifto, but I'm not Indo-Ethiopian. And anyway, we were talking about how we can make them tick voting-wise. Do we get their votes by offering them patitas de cerdo con garbanzo, or beginning a stump speech by greeting them with a few words of what we remember of our high school Spanish?

Ahh, TruthfulCitizen is back, as naive, dense and self-righteous as ever.

Yeah. Explaining to us colored folks what racism is.

[...] how we can make them tick voting-wise. Truthful Citizen, @13:26

Oh, I don't know... Not implying that Sotomayor and, in extensio, all Latinos, can only succeed due to affirmative action because, by nature, the whole lot of them are dumb clucks might be a good start, don't you think?

Gingrich is trying to sell books and up his speaking fees. He's a sideshow barker.

Limbaugh is all about the ratings he garners from white middle class Americans.

Rove is trying to stay relevant, and out of jail.

Until this iteration of the GOP implodes, I hope they keep talking.

I think Democrats should PAY these guys to keep talking.

Truthful Citizen:

I certainly agree with you that peoples of Hispanic ethnicity are by no means monolithic or in agreement on all issues. And this is true of any ethnicity one might choose to consider.

"Sosa certainly knows what makes the Hispanic voter tick." This is undoubtedly poor phrasing on the part of Sam Stein. It would have been better had he said, "Sosa's job is to try to discern how Hispanic voters are likely to vote on issues which they identify as important." Or words to that effect.

However, you are generalizing from one unfortunate statement that Sam Stein is racist, and that Steve is racist for quoting the paragraph in which the sentence occurs, without disclaiming it. If you read the greater body of the work of either man, they abundantly demonstrate LACK of racism. And by making a big deal about ONE sentence makes YOU look like a racist; I hope that you realize this.

I actually think its all part of their strategy, no different than the swift boaters. The "legit" elected guys stand around acting moral and all, while the outsiders and hacks deliver the message the base wants to hear. The legit guys get to seem above the fray, and the message is communicated as intended. Why else are Cheney, Gingrich, and the rest on TV all day long? They are on there more than the people who actual run the country. Is this a mistake? Hardly.

Everyone in the party has already apologized to Rushbo. They are all dignified and he can be the stand-in gutter snipe. Compares Sotomayor to David Duke. What talk radio show does Rush think David Duke listens to, anyway? As if he didn't know.

It is unimaginable that there are people in the Republican Party who actually believe that the more conservative party will ever be able to appeal to Hispanics. Hispanics are the second most liberal group in the U.S. Look at the voting records of Hispanics in Congress and almost of a person they are far left liberals.

Since the Republicans have zero chance of appeal to Hispanics and that part of the population is growing much faster than whites, the real question to ask is how will Hispanics be affected by the U.S. being a one party state.

Alberto Gonzales and Michael Steele and Clarence Thomas have somehow reconciled themselves to the racists in their party. Larry Craig somehow reconciled himself to the homophobes in his party. I don't think this Sotomayor nonsense is going to have much effect.

It was really fun watching Bob Schrum (may he never manage another campaign again) trying to get Pat Buchanan to say he supported civil rights.

Pat could not get the words "civil rights" past his lips.

The Republicans can't see farther than their noses and don't realize that before too long, white people will be a minority in this country as we are in the world.

I saw this little bon mot somewhere else, and I can't remember where. But I pass it along as proof that God has a sense of humor:

RNC= Rush, Newt, and Cheney.

Where are women on this issue? Well, many of us are not only gone but long gone. I was a GOP supporter from 1968 to 1994 and a volunteer in both Reagan campaigns. I and a lot of other Republican women fled in horror just about the time Jerry Falwell was appointed Secretary of Public Virtue.

If some small percentage of the women who still support the party are beginning to realize how out of place and devalued they are in an all-boys club, that's good news indeed. The rest are too heavily invested in their June Cleaver world view to notice.

The Republicans sowed the seed of their own destruction by encouraging massive illegal immigration to get cheap labor for business.

The Republican party will never get the Hispanic vote because the Democrats, like Durbin, Kennedy, Pelosi, etc., are far more creative and corrupt in rewarding illegals than Republicans. There are still a few Republicans like Tom Tancredo and Jeff Sessions who are patriotic and wish to protect our borders and sovereignty, but I can't think of a single patriotic Democrat in Washington.

De Tocqueville, Democracy in America: "I have heard of patriotism in the United States, and I have found true patriotism among the people, but never among the leaders of the people."