Thursday, May 28, 2009

Cornyn Hits Back at Limbaugh

I have to say, of all the Republicans I thought might take on Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich for calling Sonia Sotomayor racist, Sen. "Big" John Cornyn (R-TX) ranked near the bottom of the list. But shows what I know:
"I think it's terrible," Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told NPR's "All Things Considered" Thursday. "This is not the kind of tone any of us want to set when it comes to performing our constitutional responsibilities of advise and consent.”
[...]
"We are all a product of our upbringing and who we are and I think it’s a fact people do have different backgrounds, but I don't think those background ought to determine what the law is," Cornyn said to NPR of Sotomayor's Berkeley comments.

The NRSC chief also brushed off the Limbaugh and Gingrich statements while noting neither man holds an elected office.

"Neither one of these men are elected Republican officials. I just don't think it’s appropriate. I certainly don't endorse it. I think it’s wrong," he said.

We'll see if he walks it back after the inevitable right-wing outcry. But still -- well-said, Senator.

1 comment:

PG said...

Not to say that Cornyn couldn't be doing this for high-minded reasons. But, uh, have you noticed what percentage of Texas's voters in 2014 (when Cornyn is next up for reelection) will be Latino?

Senators from border states can't afford to sound like Tom Tancredo. They have to appeal to the whole state, not just one district of terrified white people.