Catholic League President Bill Donohue is someone whose opinion all conservatives should note, and he makes the case that hair-trigger opposition to President Obama’s nominee to the US Supreme Court may be mistaken:
“I wish I knew more about her. But from what we know, it looks like she’ll be at least a wash with Souter, and maybe we’ll even see improvement.”
He noted that while Judge Sotomayor’s record on abortion-related cases is thin and tangential — a challenge to policies on U.S. aid to international family-planning groups and a decision about the free-speech rights of abortion protesters — but she has backed the legal claims of pro-lifers.
“She’s [also] been pretty good on religious liberty cases” and “doesn’t hold any animus on religion” either in her decisions or her known public remarks, he said. “She said it was wrong to prohibit a menorah on public ground; I like that. She talks about the religious rights of prisoners; I like that too.”
Donohue goes on to note that Obama’s next best choice may be far worse from a conservative perspective – an opinion I’ve seen expressed elsewhere. A next potential Obama nominee is Diane Wood, who pro-lifers should view with much greater apprehension.
Bill Donohue may have a few points in one area of concern. He, however, hurt his argument by stating that he wished he knew more about Sotomayor and then adding that her record on abortion-related cases is “thin and tangential.” To me that sounds a bit like the primrose path Conservatives were led down by John Sununu with regard to the David Souter nomination.
I also do not like that blather yet again about how Conservative opposition to Sotomayor may turn off the Hispanic community. Donohue’s line is pure Catholic Council of Bishops, one of our most prominent abettors of illegal immigration. I for one am damned sick and tired of being told that I always have to walk on eggshells because some Hispanics might get upset.
Joe, I suggest you investigate Sotomayor’s record on such things as gun ownership and affirmative action; because I, for one, will not be swayed by Bill Donohue’s “Johnny One-Note” argument. You get the whole package with a SCOTUS nominee; and, while the chances of stopping this thing are slim and slimmer, I personally am through with maintaining some sort of discreet political silence on a whole range of critical issues out there.
This whole thing about turning off the Hispanic electorate is blithering nonsense and a stark insult to any thinking Hispanic-American, including those in my immediate family. Moreover, I’ll ask it again. If John “Amnesty” McCain couldn’t get the Hispanic vote, what the tarnation is Donohue talking about?
Wolv, I agree but the basic point is who is Obama going to nominate?
Pretty much anyone he nominates is going to get in.
We don’t have any leverage here.
Joe, that Obama’s nominee will make it to SCOTUS appears, indeed, to be a given unless something completely unforeseen occurs. My point is that we, as Conservatives, have to start registering some vocal points with the public now, even in a losing cause, if we ever hope to climb back into a genuine contest for power. We can no longer afford to hang back like a bunch of mutes. No voice. No chance at relevance. We will fade into the woodwork, just like the old Whig Party. Like Sam Adams and Tom Paine, somebody has to start by kicking up the dust.
I expect Jeff Sessions will be on the case, and if anyone is up to the task he is. Yes, let’s ensure Americans know just what the Empty One is doing. But maybe there are better fights to fight than against this insipid lawyer.
Sorry, Joe, but I think we are long past the point of simply trying to be clever about picking the fights to fight. In a normal political situation that might well be the way to go; but we are clearly not in a normal situation.
I have been sitting here totalling up the sheer amount of “change” being thrown at this country in just a few months and have come to the conclusion that we had better start presenting a broad and very vocal front at virtually every step of the way if we want to get the attention of this populace. The last thing we ought to be doing on any front is just caving in because that particular fight might be hard and ultimately lost. You let the enemy turn the flank of your battle line without making him pay for that with a stiff fight and you will soon find your center in dire straits. Did we learn nothing from Lee and Jackson in 1861-1863? Instead of Grant and Sherman, we still have McClellan and Burnside heading up our forces on Capitol Hill.
I, quite frankly, found the Donohue article to be more of the mush of a certain Conservative fear of doing battle period. Donohue’s reaction was, in my opinion, both Polyannnish and Pavlovian. He responded just the way Obama wanted all of us to respond when Obama very cleverly announced this nominee. As much as I dislike what Obama stands for, I have got to say that he seems to be a natural and skilled political fighter who knows his opposition and does not hesitate to use their own weaknesses against them. One of the worst of those weaknesses has become timidity and an increasingly desperate hope that we might salvage just a little bit of something out of a bad situation.
I have never in my lifetime seen the like of this situation. The political and social entities which one would hope to see representing our views with regard to the Constitution and our fundamental liberties are turning into a hapless, bumbling mess with absolutely no skill for fighting back. Take the Republican Party as a prime example. Where is the leadership there? When Conservatives wind up having their public water carried almost exclusively by radio and TV commentators such as Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin, and Beck, we had better realize we have a major problem. And that problem is the absolute lack of a strong and effective voice at the level of the elected officials, where that voice absolutely belongs and is desperately needed in this battle.
The Democrats are absolutely right. Limbaugh has, indeed, become the “leader” of the Republican Party, not because he wants to be such but because Conservative politicians have handed it to him by default. When we need the voice of a Daniel Webster we get nothing but pathetic whines and calls for caution from wimps in the House and Senate. When we need to have people in current elected offices break out of the pack and establish themselves as future candidates for the highest office, we wind up with the “official” face of the party being Michael Steele. The game is on the line. The coach searches through his roster for a real game-breaker, for someone who can make a play, and he gets…nothing.
Now look, I’m the “old guy” in all of this. Yet, at a point when I ought to be sitting in an easy chair and playing the role of “grandpa” to the hilt, I (and Mrs. Wolverine) are out on the street on patrol. I come home, turn on the Google news, and find some Republican elected official and then someone like Donohue telling me to calm down lest I offend the Hispanics. What the Hell!! Do you think I am out there on the street because this country has been invaded by illegal Hottentots?!! When is the last time Hispanics apologized to me for having to go out there and try to keep our community safe for everyone? (Amend that last. Some of them have apologized and empathized. They are called Hispanic-American citizens and legal immigrants, and they love this place as much as I do.)
Even then, Mrs. Wolverine, a true fighter in my book, sometimes turns to me and asks why we continue doing this thing. Look at all these younger folk, she remarks, who sit on their asses or go about their personal business while letting us old duffers carry the load out here. Besides, she points out, the elected politicians who ought to be defending the citizens either do things to potentially worsen the situation or wimp out and fade away from the fight.
The only answer I can give her is to say that we come from a background in which you were expected to hold your own position in the line as best you can and as long as you can. Sometimes we do go beyond our territory to see if we can help out elsewhere. Not long ago, we called for patrol car assistance when we spotted eight or more teenagers and an adult male messing around at midnight on the grounds of a local school. WE called in the help. Around that school are dozens of private homes. Far be it from these people to peer out their windows once in awhile and notice what is going on around them. Well, the same goes for our politicians at the highest levels. They seem to hide behind their blinds; and the only time you hear from them seems to be when they advise us to have caution lest we insult somebody. Well, as far as we are concerned, the time for caution and cute political games is long past. It is now the time for some plain speaking and the counterattack.
Anything out of line or detremental to the well being of the country is worth a fight. The problem is that there are very few venues to reach those citizens that need to know the truth. FOX isn’t always right but it is the best in TV we have. A few newspapers make good arguments. Thing is, the “normal” person usually doesn’t go to the blogs, internet news or even talk radio. They have there daily lives interrupted and interpreted by the major news shows and papers. They also don’t take the time to do their own research.
In my opinion, the best way to fight a fight is thru word of mouth, the mail and the local paper editorials. THIS gets to most of the people. Those that are in the know and want to make a difference need to go DIRECTLY to their elected representatives and let their feelings be known…..often! Until we get credibility back as well as the understanding of the people, we don’t have many options. Door to door is very nice but to do this expediciously for every fight is a fulltime volunteer job and not very practical.
Wolve,
“They are called Hispanic-American citizens”
You may think that this is the pot calling the kettle black being as how I use the terms Negroes, Caucasians and Mongols but I just don’t see how we can becoming the melting-pot nation of old when people continue to use “hyphenated” names to describe citizens. You are either American or not-period. My son-in-law is Korean and a naturalized citizen but I never say he is Korean-American. He WAS Korean and NOW is American. People create “clans” and segregation with these PC terms coined by the gov’t.
I don’t know if you were at the convention yesterday or not but there was an individual; a cadet from VT named Adnan Barqawi who grew up in Kuwait for 19 years and then came to America for a higher education. His story and struggle was admirable-better than Sotomayor-and he literally stold the show with his speech, insights and convictions. Right before he graduated he took his oath for citizenship with gladness and honor and the line that drew heavy applauds was when he said..(paraphrase) “I don’t concider myself an Arab-American. Just an American”. That is what true citizens are…..just Americans. That description tells everyone what to expect-united with one name in a sovereign country.
I still love and respect you just the same but that hyphenated term is nothing but division and downfall for our country and is a bad habit needing to be rectified. I’m stepping off my box now.
Act, I will never again refer to you as a “Johnny Reb-American.” Since you won’t accept my ethnic shorthand, I guess I’ll have to change my Yankee ways. How does this set with ya:”…citizens and legal immigrants of Hispanic origin…”? Jeesh…picky, picky, picky.
And please stop that business about “love.” Mrs. Wolverine saw that and is now looking at me kind of funny and quizzical like. I tried to tell her that part of your post was misdirected and was really intended for Cathymac. She is still looking at me funny!
Wolve,
Hey there Yank. I put a sticker on my vehicle just like that to get my point across to others but, alas, it appears that everyone is a pencil and no one has a sharpener. I hate it when good points (no pun intended) end up in the Twilight Zone.
Tell Mrs. W. to have no fear-your “manhood” is intact (as least as far as we’re concerned). I got a good laugh from your comment and my love flows to good people. All others beware.
As far as me being misdirected, that is the same thing my wife says about me….oh. That wasn’t what you were talking about? Scratch that last sentence!