they just play by different rules...
Friday, Nov. 14, 2003 5:55 p.m. EST
Kennedy Calls Bush Minority Nominees 'Neanderthals'
Sen. Ted Kennedy called President Bush's judicial nominees "Neanderthals" on Friday, a group that includes Hispanic lawyer Miguel Estrada and African-American Judge Janice Rogers Brown.
Boasting of his party's resolve in the face of GOP attempts to stop the Democrats' filibuster, Kennedy told the Senate, "What has not ended is the resolution and the determination of the members of the United States Senate to continue to resist any Neanderthal that is nominated by this president of the United States for any court, federal court in the United States."
Kennedy's overtly racist language stunned even liberal CNN correspondent Jonathan Karl, who reported, "Strong words from Ted Kennedy suggesting that some of these nominees are Neanderthals."
Democrats should have championed Judge Brown's confirmation, not because of her compelling life story, but because of her record as an exemplary judge committed to the rule of law, equality for all Americans, and her limited role as a judge.
Instead, privileged, wealthy, white Democrats attacked Brown as an "extreme right-wing" judge who didn't care about "civil rights" or the "down-trodden." They were unconstrained by accusations of racism and sexism.
When the Democrats ended their nearly two-year delay, including a filibuster of Brown's re-nomination in 2005, their attacks continued. They claimed their opposition wasn't racist or sexist:
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) ridiculed Bush nominees including Brown, as "Neanderthals." He attacked Brown as "another extreme right-wing candidate ... a judicial activist who will roll back basic rights."
Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) said: "I oppose giving Justice Brown this lifetime promotion to the second highest court in our land because the American people deserve judges who will interpret the law fairly and objectively. Janice Rogers Brown is a committed judicial activist who has a consistent record of using her position as a member of the court to put her views above the law and above the interests of working men and women and families across the Nation."
Sen. #^&#^&#^&#^& Durbin (D-Ill.) said: "Janice Rogers Brown is one of President Bush's most ideological and extreme judicial nominees."
Schumer said: Judge Brown "is the least deserving of all of President Bush's appeal court nominees."
Many political pundits apparently share Democrats' low opinion of Hispanic voters. All we've heard thus far is, "Republicans don't dare go after Sotomayor," or they'll lose the Hispanic voting bloc.