Republican Senator Inhofe Refuses To Even Meet With Sotomayor
So much with any pretense of being anything but a person with a set-in-concrete ideology: Republican Senator Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) has made it known that he won’t EVEN MEET with Barack Obama Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.
It would be inconceivable 10, 20 or any number of years ago that any United States Senator whose duty includes voting on Supreme Court nominees would REFUSE to meet with a Supreme Court nominee, arguing that, why, he already knows he’s going to vote against her. So why bother to sit down and hear from her own lips how she’d answer questions from him? Why waste the time?
Actually, in one sense, it’s not surprising.
Inhofe has made it known he has intense dislikes in the debate over climate change — and also those pesky science reporters, as Columbia Journalism Review has reported.
And he is clearly part of the GOP’s talk radio political culture that eschews dialogue for raw partisanship: two years ago he created a stir by alleging that he overheard then Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton talking with Barbara Boxer about seeking a “legislative fix” to reign in conservative talk radio, an allegation both of them denied.
But make no mistake about it:
This isn’t the first time in American history that a politician knew in advance that he or she would vote against an opposing party’s nominee. In fact, a good number of the votes for nominees sent up to the Hill by Presidents in advance can be counted on as soon as as nominee is named.
But throughout American history, even rank partisanship was accompanied by opponents, particularly in the Senate, displaying a degree of courtesy.
It’s a sign of how intense partisanship is now that a Senator effectively postures to show that, why, not only is he against Sotomayor but he’s against her more than the others who are against her are against her and he’s so against her that he won’t even meet with her — so there!
It’s one more nail in the coffin of politicians or activists from one party treating each other with respect (“Respect? What’s THAT? Wasn’t that a word in a golden oldie rock song where they spelled the word out?”)
Here’s Eric Zimmerman’s piece, linked above:
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) is dead set on voting against Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination. In fact, he’s so certain of his position that he refuses to even meet with her.
Sotomayor has been meeting privately with Senators over the last few weeks, but when it was Inhofe’s turn, he declined.
Inhofe’s spokesman explained that since the Senator has already decided to vote against the nomination, there’s no reason to waste time on a sit-down discussion.
Earlier this week, Inhofe called his vote against Sotomayor a “foregone conclusion,” citing his vote against her nomination to a circuit court in 1998.
“If you voted against anyone on the circuit [court], I have never been able to see how you turn around when the bar is actually higher and support it at a higher level,” Inhofe said, according to the Tulsa World.
But wait!
According to Zimmerman, the state’s other Republican Senator Tom Coburn did mange to meet with Sotomayor and not only did he come out of the meeting alive, but he by meeting her he could begin to sort out some thoughts about her nomination:
“She’s got the demeanor of a judge,” Coburn told NewsOK.com. He added that the two had a “philosophical discussion [about] life, problems in our country, difficulties we face.”
Inhofe has no time for discussions. And, really, what is the big deal?
He already knows what he believes and where he stands.
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21 Responses to “Republican Senator Inhofe Refuses To Even Meet With Sotomayor”
It's really not fair picking on Inhofe. I have a very narrow list of non-RINO Republicans from a friend of mine who knows about such things. He's a piece of work to be sure, but his mentality can't be applied to conservatives as a whole (Inhofe, not my friend…)
It _must_ be upsetting if it leads someone to pout or throw a tantrum and shout a few things in ALL CAPS.
“non-RINO Republicans” is that a double negative?
In a few weeks, or a couple of months, Inhofe and Sotomayor will likely both be high ranking officials in our government. For people of this position not to be able to say hello in passing is distubing. Does Inhofe also refuse to meet with, or speak to, other senators with whom he disagrees? Serious question to which I do not know the answer.
Second point: Supreme Court justices are notorious for changing philosophically once on the court, with notable examples being Hugo Black, Harry Blackmun and David Souter. One would think a meeting to perhaps plant a seed of persuasion might be in order.
Third, this kind of conduct reinforces the perception of R's as uncivil, impolite and radical. In most of real life America, people respect the rights of others to hold different opinions and do not attempt to exclude from their circle of acquaintances those with whom they may happen to disagree. Inhofe's position strikes me as oddly un-American and non-representative of a fundamental precept of what America and its people hold dear.
The arrogant attitudes of the power brokers, left and right, does not reflect traditional American values. If Inhofe runs on traditional American values in his next election, someone would do well to remind him that those values include commity, courtesy, manners and respect for those with whom you disagree.
Inhofe is so my favorite Republican. He just sticks his fingers in his ears and sticks out his tongue and thinks that means that the world will not change around him. My four year old nephew does the same thing when he doesn't like what's going on. It's cute.
“”non-RINO Republicans” is that a double negative?
”
Not exactly, but a poor phrase I suppose. Hard to come up with an alternative. Basically I was once on a thread where someone listed a bunch of RINOs (McCain, Specter, Giuliani, etc). I asked who wasn't a RINO… the individual came up with exactly three names and Inhofe was one of them.
Ugh. Pardon the ignorance, but what's a RINO?
Windy,
Republican In Name Only.
Republican In Name Only
The smart money obviously says Sotomayor will easily be confirmed. She's said some disturbing things but is far from a flame-throwing judicial activist who threatens to be another Earl Warren (instant grounds for disqualification, to say the very least and kindest). Her experience is what sells her to those of us who are dispassionate about this (as we don't see a serious activist threat here), for it makes her more qualified than many who have preceded her. It's a shame the Dems use politics but they also win on her behalf with politics, not only pleasing their quota-crazies (she's both Hispanic and female, ooooo!) but of course any opposition to her by the GOP will be slandered as racist or sexist, by Dems and the liberal media.
This was a tee-ball opportunity for Obama and he actually hit the ball solidly (against no oppostion of note).
Inhofe has no time for discussions. ~ JG
Inhofe has no time for reality.
Inhofe:
“Don't confuse me with the facts, my little, intolerant mind is made up.”
It is not that his mind is made up already. That has happened many times before, and recently by Democrats about Republican nominees.
The rudeness of refusing to meet with her, the lack of decorum, is inexcusable though.
Great to have elected officials who don't have the decency to discuss varying opinons. There is related post at http://iamsoannoyed.com/?p=1858
Inhofe lacks the intelligence to be a senator. Just watch him on C-span on the floor of the Senate for 5 minutes and decide for yourself.
Inhofe is very deficient in intelligence. Just watch him on the floor of the Senate on C-span and decide for yourself.
Yeah, next thing you know, Senators will refuse to walk across the street to look at evidence for impeachment. Good thing we don't have to worry about that.
[...] Jim Inhofe, Oklahoma Senator Inhofe won’t even meet with Judge Sotomayor; he has made up his mind to vote against [...]
Jim Inhofe is the perfect reason why we should repeal the 17th Amendment, and remove from the electorate the choice of Senators. This lack of decorum is inexcusable, and indeed childish.
Senator Inhofe, I launch a call from here. Grow up, and act like an adult!
Inhofe has been on the wrong side of history many times before. Why change now?
It is very clear. Too many of the so called “values” party have no values whatsoever. Ensign, Vitters, Craig, the little boy lover from Florida, Sessions who I believe still thinks the KKK was and IS the greatest organization in America.