David Pleasant

President Ben Nelson has decided to vote for Judge Sotomayor and Saint John McCain has decided vehemently that he will not. I wonder who pulled Nelson’s chain.

Max Baucus makes Joe Lieberman look like a bleeding heart liberal and one that the Progressive Caucus would welcome. From The Hill: 

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Thursday he hasn’t made up his mind on whether he will vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

Baucus this summer has infuriated liberals on and off Capitol Hill by working to strike a deal with Republicans on healthcare reform. A “no” vote on Sotomayor would be adding fuel to the left’s fire at the Finance Committee chairman.

Baucus on Thursday twice told The Hill he is undecided on next week’s floor vote on Sotomayor.

“I have no idea,” Baucus said. “I haven’t paid any attention and I haven’t announced … I’ve been so busy with healthcare. It’s under consideration. I’ll certainly know when I vote, but right now I can’t tell you.”

I don’t understand why Max Baucus doesn’t change parties, other than doing so would cost him his chairmanship and thereby drastically reduce the amount of money lobbyists give him. Clearly, having a 60-vote majority in the Senate is meaningless to the Democrats, so what productive purpose does Baucus serve in the Democratic Party?

Late Update: FirstRead reports that Baucus will vote for Sotomayor.

"I have long said that to be a Supreme Court Justice a person must meet three main criteria: personal integrity, professional competence, and a view of important issues that is within the mainstream of contemporary judicial thought," Baucus said in a statement. "After personally meeting Judge Sotomayor, thoroughly analyzing her judicial record, and reviewing her nomination hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Judge Sotomayor unquestionably meets each of these criteria. Thus, I am proud to support her nomination and will vote to confirm her as a Justice to the United States Supreme Court.”

Well that’s nice. Sen. Baucus decides to vote with the rest of his party. I suppose a stopped clock is right occasionally, huh?

Senator john Cornyn (R-TX) accuses Democrats of …wait for it… using race in the Sonia Sotomayor debate. That is one straight from Karl Rove’s playbook: take your weakness and use it against your enemy.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-6 to send to the full Senate the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. The only Republican on the Committee to vote for Judge Sotomayor was Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). I suppose Sen. Graham will have some serious groveling to do before the Throne of Rush. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) will vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. His tag-team buddy on the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), will not.

Graham, after being rude, obnoxious, condescending, and belittling in the confirmation hearings said that Sotomayor was the “most qualified nominee to the Supreme Court in decades.” We’re surrounded by hypocrites.