Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., subjected Judge Sonia Sotomayor (in photo) to quite a grilling during her confirmation hearings. Yet he ended up the only Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee to support her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court today, in a 13-6 vote expected to lead to a full Senate vote next week. “I’m deciding to vote for a woman I would not have chosen,” Graham said. But it’s a “big deal” for President Obama to have nominated the first-ever Latina to the high court, he said, and “America has changed for the better with her selection.” There’s no suspense about how Kansas Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback will vote; they announced in May and June, respectively, that they would vote against her.
It’s an old, sarcastic argument but an interesting one, especially considering how ubiquitous metal detectors and purse searches are throughout Washington, D.C., and how many friends the National Rifle Association has in Congress: Why should Second Amendment rights stop at the Capitol steps? “Congress seems to think that gun restrictions are for wimps,” wrote Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne. “It voted this year to allow people to bring their weapons into national parks, and pro-gun legislators have pushed for the right to carry in taverns, colleges and workplaces. Shouldn’t Congress set an example in its own workplace?”
As she stepped down Sunday as Alaska’s governor, Sarah Palin said she didn’t need a title to fight “for what is right, and for truth.” For most politicians, quitting midway through a first term wouldn’t further their careers. But Palin makes her own rules. Her immediate future appears to hold an Aug. 8 speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, work on her book and campaigning for like-minded Republicans, as well as more speaking out via Twitter. But “there is absolutely no plan,” she told the Associated Press. Meanwhile, a New Republic article paints a grim picture of her final months in office and relationship with state legislators. None of her major bills passed, and “she managed to alienate most of the 60 members of House and Senate,” said an aide to one GOP lawmaker. “It wasn’t a matter of burning bridges — she blew them up.”
A lengthy weekend article in the New York Times by David Barstow thoughtfully tells the story of the life, practice and violent death of George Tiller, and captures the passions and defiance on both sides of the abortion issue in Wichita. The cast of the article and online multimedia package is familiar to Wichitans, though not every detail will be. Barstow observes that “not a single Kansas politician of statewide prominence showed up” for Tiller’s June funeral and that some anti-abortion activists view Tiller with grudging respect. Mark Gietzen, chairman of the Kansas Coalition for Life, called Tiller “very smart” and a “great businessman” and “worthy adversary.”
