Orrin Hatch ponders significance of Gonzales vote: "Is it prejudice?"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Democratic opposition this week stirred Republicans to ask aloud why Democrats were so opposed to Gonzales' nomination.

"Is it prejudice? Is it a belief that a Hispanic-American should never be in a position like this because he will be the first one ever in a position like this?" Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah said. "Or is it because he's constantly mentioned for the Supreme Court of the United States of America? Or is it that they just don't like Judge Gonzales?"

Republicans agree that confirming Gonzales as the new attorney general will resonate throughout the Hispanic community.

"This is a breakthrough of incredible magnitude for Hispanic-Americans and should not be diluted by partisan politics," Florida GOP Sen. Mel Martinez, the nation's first Cuban-American senator, said. "Judge Gonzales is a role model for the next generation of Hispanic-Americans in this country."

[Langis]

1. Let me be the first to say

Fuck you Orrin Hatch.

[Pepperbelly]

7. You read my mind. nt

[VOX]

2. This is the same sick card the right wing plays when Condi is criticized.

And it's horseshit.

The right wing is now very adept at projecting its own vile characteristics: racism, hate, anger, etc.

[Tigress DEM]

3. I'm prejudiced against Anyone who is PRO-Torture

So tell the right wingers to get over it.

[Fosamax5]

4. Arlen Spector voted yes too

[Tigress DEM]

6. Full List

Alphabetical by Senator Name Akaka (D-HI), Nay
Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Allard (R-CO), Yea
Allen (R-VA), Yea
Baucus (D-MT), Not Voting
Bayh (D-IN), Nay
Bennett (R-UT), Yea
Biden (D-DE), Nay
Bingaman (D-NM), Nay
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Nay
Brownback (R-KS), Yea
Bunning (R-KY), Yea
Burns (R-MT), Not Voting
Burr (R-NC), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Nay
Cantwell (D-WA), Nay
Carper (D-DE), Nay
Chafee (R-RI), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea
Clinton (D-NY), Nay
Coburn (R-OK), Yea
Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Coleman (R-MN), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Not Voting
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Corzine (D-NJ), Nay
Craig (R-ID), Yea
Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Dayton (D-MN), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Yea
DeWine (R-OH), Yea
Dodd (D-CT), Nay
Dole (R-NC), Yea
Domenici (R-NM), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Nay
Durbin (D-IL), Nay
Ensign (R-NV), Yea
Enzi (R-WY), Yea
Feingold (D-WI), Nay
Feinstein (D-CA), Nay
Frist (R-TN), Yea
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Gregg (R-NH), Yea
Hagel (R-NE), Yea
Harkin (D-IA), Nay
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Not Voting
Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Jeffords (I-VT), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Nay
Kennedy (D-MA), Nay
Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Kohl (D-WI), Nay
Kyl (R-AZ), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay
Leahy (D-VT), Nay
Levin (D-MI), Nay
Lieberman (D-CT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Nay
Lott (R-MS), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Yea
McCain (R-AZ), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Murray (D-WA), Nay
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Obama (D-IL), Nay
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Nay
Reid (D-NV), Nay
Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Santorum (R-PA), Yea
Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay
Schumer (D-NY), Nay
Sessions (R-AL), Yea
Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Smith (R-OR), Yea
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Sununu (R-NH), Yea
Talent (R-MO), Yea
Thomas (R-WY), Yea
Thune (R-SD), Yea
Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Nay

[papau]

9. 60 to 36 - where were the other 4?

:-)

[Tigress DEM]

13. Sorry my hubby was bugging me to get off the computer...

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/a_three_sections_with_teasers/votes.htm

Said it is updated every 20 minutes, but it showed the result as confirmed. Here is a better sort anyway

YEAs ---60
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chafee (R-RI)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Roberts (R-KS)
Salazar (D-CO)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

NAYs ---36
Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Clinton (D-NY)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 4
Baucus (D-MT)
Burns (R-MT)
Conrad (D-ND)
Inouye (D-HI)

[papau]

14. thanks :-)

:-)

[oasis]

18. Lieberman (yea): :In the spirit of bipartisanship.

:eyes:

[Tigress DEM]

5. Back in Mid EVIL land....

The nobels would go to war and they would lead their charges against the castles with prisoners of war they'd captured so the people inside would hesitate to pour oil down etc...

Here the repubs have their sacrificial politicos. Their token blacks and hispanics so you can see THEY aren't prejudiced.

Meanwhile those who believe in equality and are against torture are painted as being prejudiced for being against people who lie - Condi or who advocate weakening our committment to Geneva Convention - Gonzales.

It's like pedophiles who spend all their time working with groups that have kids in them. They aren't like the regular joes that do the work for honest reasons, they are predators with no remorse and no problem lying through their teeth.

[Botany]

8. Only a racist would bring race into this debate.....

...... So if you opposed Hitler you would be anti German
if opposed Mayer Lansky you would be an anti semite
if you opposed Bentio Mussolini you would be anti Italian

No, this is about are you qualified to do the job. END OF STORY



:bounce:

[uppityperson]

12. Exactly. The best defense is a good offense.

"You don't like my hispanic because he's a hispanic. You don't like my african-american/black (sorry, not sure the pc term right now) because she's black." No, we don't like them ENTIRELY ON THEIR OWN. (and sorry for the yell)

[pdxmom]

10. So is Hatch saying the primary reason to vote for him is because

he's Latino? If so, that's tokenism. Gonzales' stance on saying that the president is above the law in regards to torture tells me he's not qualified to be the AG, not to mention his morality is highly questionable.

[ultraist]

11. It is racist to REFUSE to enact legislation the promotes equal opportunity

Appointing a few minorities, does not exempt them from responsibility for their ANTI minority policies.

It's not by accident that they chose Condi and Gonzalez. Sure, they are both well qualified and meet the Repuke criteria, but they intentionally chose minorities. It is tokenism, a positive gesture that is for the most part empty and allows them to excuse their racist policies.

I can understand why some of the Hispanic community see this as positive, and in a sense it is. Opening the doors for minorities is a good thing but NOT when it is used to excuse racist policies.

It's a cover for them. Just like when a racist person says, "I'm not racist, I have one black friend."

[Disturbed]

15. Obama

Voted for Rice and Gonzales. This guy is spozed to be a rising star?

[BlackVelvet04]

16. Obama voted NO on Gonzales n/t

[Q]

17. Do Hatch and other GOPers REALLY not get it?

Of course they do. At least I hope they would understand why Gonzales or anyone else with such a distaste for the Constitution and human rights wouldn't be acceptable.

But Democrats need to 'get' something too: The New Republican Party is out to destroy their only competition...the Democrats. They're using the 'race card' just as they used religion as part of a cultural warfare to spread suspicion and doubt among traditional Dem strongholds.

[blondeatlast]

19. The RW charge of "political correctness" and ethnic favoritism

turned on its ear, actually.

Condi's incompetent, and got challenged, but the RW cries of "racism" are meant to excuse her behaviour. Ditto Gonzales.

Dems and LWingers have too much class to go after the hypocrisy, but I almost wish they would.

This is definitely a job for Ed Schultz and Randi Rhodes.

[KayLaw]

20. Maybe they're prejudiced

Could be that. On the other hand, maybe they're just against murder, raping little kids (or anyone for that matter), electrocuting people, throwing that boy who had a broken arm onto the floor then laughing when he wet his pants, forcing people to strip and have sex with one another, beating people to death then posing happily with their corpses...you know, stuff along those lines.

Hmmm....whichever could it be? Makes me wonder, are those things the reason Hatch vote yea? Hmm...thought he was a Christian not a Satanist. Oh well...

:shrug:

[LynneSin]

21. This is Bush's America: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignornance is..

strength.

And if Orrin Hatch says 2+2=5 then we better fall in line and believe it or he'll have Gonzeles write a memo staying it's ok to torture those who believe otherwise!

[deadparrot]

22. Heh, and if it was the Dems nominating Gonzales...

I'm sure the Republicans would say the exact same thing they're saying right now. No reason to think any differently. :)

[freestyle]

23. If he and Rice are role models, then so is O.J. Simpson.

When you're wrong you're wrong, and I will not support someone who does wrong merely because they are a person of color. I'm Black, and way past tired of some people's misplaced group loyalties and willingness to have those loyalties used in the service of oppression. There is no obligation to support criminals who look like you, especially when their lies and distortions are leading daily to massive death and deformation also of people who look like you. Gonzalez supports torture. There is no excusing that. Rice was part of a total failure leading up to 9/11 and of the lie campaign that led to the Iraq war. Some estimates of death are over 100,000. There is no excusing that. To me, these people are accessories to murder, and deserve to be on trial for crimes against humanity along with the rest of the bush junta.

This vote also proves that there really are no "moderate" republicans left. Anyone capable if making a torture supporter the nation's chief law enforcement official is capable of anything. I hope they remember the words of Martin Niemoller. Those of us who are the first targets may or may not be able to hold the line.

[Skidmore]

24. Oral Hatch is a clueless

tool. He still hasn't figured out where his bellybutton lint comes from. He certainly isn't capable determining glaring hypocrisy and blatant ethical and legal violations when presented with them lit in neon. Hoe was some kinda ace lawyer? My hiney.

[King Coal]

25. What part of "We don't believe in torture" doesn't he understand?

Yeah, it's about prejudice. Against phony Mormons.

[marcologico]

26. Looks like the GOP is getting good at playing the race card. n/t

[marcologico]

27. p.s. come to think of it, that's been their game for a while. n/t

[AntiCoup2K4]

28. Blow it out your ass Orrin!

How about we tie up you and all your wives and do to them the same things that were done at Abu Ghraib, and then see how "prejudiced" you are, you fucking pig.

Show me where the Bible or any of Joey Smith's sequels justify this shit, Senator Hatch.