GOP Dicktitude On Full Display At Sotomayor Hearing (With Update)

From MSNBC:

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Sotomayor, "Unless you have a complete meltdown, you're going to get confirmed.

"And I don't think you will" have a meltdown, he added quickly as Sotomayor sat listening, her face in a half-smile.

It would have been great if Sotomayor responded, "Well, Senator, unless you start molesting young children, I'm certain your career will go just fine as well."

I know -- something like that would never happen, but I can dream, can't I?

Legendary racist -- and Alabama Senator -- Jeff Sessions couldn't resist coming off as a complete dick either:

Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the senior Republican, vowed a "respectful tone" and "maybe some disagreements" when lawmakers begin questioning Sotomayor on Tuesday.

Moments later, he took aim at Sotomayor's 2001 statement that her standing as a "wise Latina woman" would sometimes allow her to reach a better decision than a white male.

"I will not vote for, and no senator should vote for an individual nominated by any president who believes it is acceptable for a judge to allow their own personal background, gender, prejudices or sympathies to sway their decision," he said.

"Call it empathy, call it prejudice or call it sympathy, but whatever it is, it's not law," Sessions said. "In truth, it's more akin to politics, and politics has no place in the courtroom."

Maybe it is just me, but I think it is hilarious that Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III felt compelled to lecture a Latina woman about "prejudices."

UPDATE: From Matthew Yglesias:

I would pay good money to hear Sonia Sotomayor say, “Senator Sessions, I think it’s ironic to be facing these questions from a man whose judicial nomination was rejected by this very committee on the grounds that he’s a huge racist.” * * *

Seriously, though, when the Republican Senate Conference was meeting, did nobody say "if we're going to oppose the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice, maybe we shouldn't have a giant racist leading the charge?" This seems like a situation in which Mel Martinez might have been able to offer a useful perspective. Or they could have called up JC Watts out of retirement. What were they thinking?