Having covered the Clarence Thomas hearings as a field producer for C-SPAN in 1991, I am only partially consoled to see the formality of the Senate meetings today with Judge Sonia Sotomayor introduced into what so far has seemed from the Republicans to be an informal backroom meeting of the group formerly known as the KKK (thank you, Tom Tancredo.)
The silence of elected Reupblicans at every level of government amidst the extreme comments since President Obama nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor is terrifying. Yesterday, I watched Pat Buchanan, as he was treated yet again like a pundit on MSNBC as opposed to the race-inciting paranoid that he is and was when he worked for Nixon and ran as a right-wing sideshow to embarrass maintstream Republicans. He said, 'You know, La Raza, the Puerto Ricans, they are... engaging in discrimination against white males. We helped the black guys in the south, they needed our help, but this is different.'
While many may not see what's going on here, the reality is this: any Republican who can listen to that and not feel a responsibility to say something is allowing Buchanan, Tancredo, Gingrich, Rush, Severan and Cheney to define their party.
Let's see what happens when the hearings begin. Let's see who comes out of the woodwork.
But right now, I can say this is not the United States Senate I covered in 1991, and worked for as a press secretary after being inspired to look behind the curtain.
Until Republicans decide it is safe to do anything but incite the right with old political and racial mores, our country is dangerously under-represented by the two party system. I challenge any Republican listening to open their mouths and disagree with Rush & Company.
I'm just surprised that the mass majority of mainstream Republicans seem are not responding to the outrageous comments being made and instigated in the unelected far-right wing of their party.