Then and Now
"When President Bill Clinton nominated Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsberg to serve on the high court, I voted for their confirmation, as did all but a few of my fellow Republicans. Why? For the simple reason that the nominees were qualified, and it would have been petty, and partisan, and disingenuous to insist otherwise. Those nominees represented the considered judgment of the president of the United States. And under our Constitution, it is the president's call to make."
Now:
John McCain voted against Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation to the Supreme Court today.
Why? Several reasons, probably. Most notably is that he's a bad loser, that he's now part and parcel of the hard conservative right and also that he almost assuredly said the above in a desperate attempt to appeal to voters who normally wouldn't vote for a twisted old codger like himself.
Remember when the media was desperate to paint McCain as a maverick? As someone who didn't just do whatever all the other Republicans did, but was his "own" man? Yeah, I do too. Glad everyone has realized that if that was ever true, it surely isn't any more.
John Sidney McCain, you are a sad, bitter old man.
In the meantime, congratulations to Associate Justice Sotomayor who by all evidence will be a superb Justice.
