HELLO: Shout-Out to the 44% of Women Who Didn't Vote Obama

Have you heard what the white males in your party/paranoiac ideology of choice have been saying about Sonia Sotomayor, the distinguished judge nominated by President Obama to the Supreme Court? Parenthetically, she’s a woman and happens to be a Latina -– should that matter? Anyway, these troglodytes opposed Judge Sotomayor on no issues of substance. Instead, they’ve resorted to juvenile name-calling:

- racist

- reverse racist (presumably flashier, sort of like a reverse layup)

- bigot (projection, projection)

- lacks intellectual heft (never mind that she graduated with honors from Princeton, SECOND in her class!)

- name is too hard to pronounce (excuse me??)

- choice of food may influence her decisions (EXCUSE ME?!?)

- is temperamental (would that be once a month?)

- is Obama’s Harriet Miers (yeah, right … )

- activist judge (Ooo, look out white hoodsters, here comes the wild-eyed “activist” Latina judge!)

- has empathy (OMG!! Um, “Poppy” Bush sold Thomas as someone with “empathy”…)

No shit. This is all true, it’s been said by wingers gone wild in the last few days about Judge Sotomayor since her nomination to the Supreme Court. Precious little has been said about her actual record, mostly by progressives (trans: adults) somewhat concerned about her position on Roe.

It’s worth repeating here, that one of the benefits Barack Obama’s election has had is to expose the true colors, the dark, depraved, decadent underbelly of right wing opposition arrayed against him and us. These people don’t represent America any more than Hitler represents Germany or the Ku Klux Klan is a social club.

Remember, ladies, all 44% of you misguided souls who did not vote for President Obama: Judge Sotomayor has done all of you a HUGE favor; she’s become a foil for conservative white male frustrations boiling over ... and boil over, they have!

PssT … if you have an independent mind, this is what your first dudes, your SOs, really. Think. About. YOU.

Is she pro-choice? Is she not?

Already this is circulating because Judge Sotomayor has not written an abortion opinion. Guess what? In a Roe v. Wade world, there aren't many questions on this that come up! The proper question is not how would you rule on an abortion case but how do you view stare decisis, i.e., court precedent? It takes a fundamental sea change a la Plessy v. Ferguson (separate but "equal") for a sitting court to overturn long-settled precedent.

The Supremes

I have read many of Sonia Sotomayor's opinions. While she is not a "knock your socks off, wow that is brilliant" jurist, she is more than competent and capable. Her opinions, at least in my area (securities) have been well-reasoned and consistent. She is clearly qualified with an admirable record of public service.

Take her on, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions. I dare you.

On the lighter and stupider side...

I saw this headline on the MSN page:

'Jon & Kate' spouses say they're angry at media

Oh really. Now I would have never heard of these buffoons if they didn't show up on magazine covers I see in the store, etc. Reality TV is not my thing. But here's a little tip if you don't like media attention--

DON'T GO ON TV!!!

President Obama Makes Historic SCOTUS Nomination

Judge Sonia Sotomayor represents the changing face of America.

Her life story is compelling and mirrors the President's in many ways: She grew up in the projects, raised by a widowed mom who had to work two jobs to support her. She graduated with honors from Princeton and Yale Law School, was a DA, a corporate attorney, and judge. She has more than the requisite experience and qualifications to serve on the nation's highest court.

She has TWICE passed Senate confirmation, appointed first as a district judge by "Poppy" Bush and then as an appelate court judge by President Clinton.

A word to the (un)wise Repugnants: Try blocking her confirmation based on your RWWM views of her "judicial philosophy" at your own very great peril, lest you become a permanent regional minority party. Be very, very careful with your oppositional schemes. Latinos do not forgive or forget so easily.

Hélio Castroneves of Brasil (Natch): 3-time Indy 500 Champion!

I'd gone out when the race was halfway over and Hélio was sitting in 5th, only to come back and see him in front of the pack by 1.1 seconds, with 10 laps to go!

WOOHOO!!! WHAT A COUNTDOWN: 10 ... 9 ... 8 ... 7 ... 6 ... 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... I was just counting down every lap as Hélio zoomed around the track at 200+ mph, keeping a perfect line, with no one gaining behind him ... and with ONE LAP TO GO, his team leader radios him evenly: "One to go. Bring it HOME!" WOOT!


This was an emotional win for Hélio and his family, after a full acquittal on tax evasion charges in which he had faced 35 years in prison. It was the greatest win of his career, capping a storybook finish as he broke down and thanked team owner Roger Penske for "giving me my life back." Hélio Castroneves is a pure racer in the very best tradition of the great Brasilian champions of the past -- Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, and the greatest of them all, Ayrton Senna.

It's no accident that Hélio is now poised to possibly become the only 4-time Indy 500 champion. He's a finisher. He knows the race goes not only to the swift, but also to the best strategist and most skillful driver, to the one who makes the least mistakes and relies on his team, because after all, it's a total team effort. He's smooth and consistent. Focusing on the marathon, not the sprint, he will get the most out of his car and his tires so that, in the end, he's all alone in front, literally and figuratively with something left in the tank.

And to cap off his many racetrack talents, in 2007 Hélio was crowned Dancing With the Stars Champion beating back none other than MARIE OSMOND! What a guy! What a Champion! : D



Congratulations, Hélio!