Obama Praises Sotomayor — And Dismisses Criticism — In YouTube Address
In this week’s Presidential YouTube Address, President Obama discussed his nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, praising her qualifications — and rebutting the critics:
“There are, of course, some in Washington who are attempting to draw old battle lines and playing the usual political games, pulling a few comments out of context to paint a distorted picture of Judge Sotomayor’s record,” said Obama. “But I am confident that these efforts will fail; because Judge Sotomayor’s seventeen-year record on the bench – hundreds of judicial decisions that every American can read for him or herself – speak far louder than any attack; her record makes clear that she is fair, unbiased, and dedicated to the rule of law.”
RNC Address: Daniels Blasts “Imperialistic” Cap And Trade Proposal
In this weekend’s Republican address, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels blasted President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi for supporting cap and trade:
“It’s become clear that the Pelosi bill has little to do with a cooler planet and everything to do with raising money for the out-of-control federal spending now underway in Washington,” said Daniels. “Please excuse us Midwesterners for feeling a bit like the targets of an imperialistic policy, devised in places like California, New York, and Massachusetts for their benefit, at our expense.”
Barack and Michelle Obama Headed Out For New York Date Tonight
President Obama and the First Lady are headed to New York for a date tonight to go to a Broadway play, the critically-acclaimed show “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.” Earlier today, President Obama went to his daughter Malia’s soccer game, which her team won according to pool reports.
Bill Clinton And George W. Bush Meet In Canada
Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush met for a joint appearance at a forum last night in Toronto, discussing their own and each other’s presidencies. The event was mostly cordial, with little criticism of each other — though Clinton did say U.N. inspectors should have been given more time in Iraq, and Bush should have focused more on Afghanistan. Bush disagreed: “I don’t buy the premise that our attention was diverted.”
WaPo: Compelling Biography No Guarantee Of Smooth Confirmation
The Washington Post points out that the White House’s heavy emphasis on Sonia Sotomayor’s personal story is reminiscent of the George H.W. Bush Administration’s selling of Clarence Thomas, another person from a minority who came from humble roots. “Since Supreme Court nominations take on all of the attributes of a political campaign, you are selling somebody’s life story,” said Kenneth Duberstein, who guided the Thomas and Souter nominations. But as we saw from the Thomas hearings, those carefully laid plans can be thrown off course if a personal scandal arises.
Gates Calls For Tougher Sanctions On North Korea
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual meeting of defense and security officials, Sec. of Defense Robert Gates called for tougher sanctions on North Korea. “They create a crisis and the rest of us pay the price to return to the status quo ante,” said Gates. “As the expression goes in the U.S., I’m tired of buying the same horse twice.”
Sessions: Rise In Senate Career Is “Ironic”
In an Associated Press profile, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) acknowledged the unlikely path he has taken to becoming the head Republican on the Judiciary Committee, after the committee had killed his nomination to be a judge back in 1986: “It is ironic.” He also added. “I was a prosecutor for 17 years and I used to be frustrated by the judicial decisions that I thought didn’t make sense. Now I’m in a position to get good judges … and to me that’s really an awesome responsibility.”
