Sen. Alexander backs Sotomayor

[Glenn]

Just heard that Lamar the soon to be loser, has announced that he will break with Republicans (what's new) and vote to confirm Sonya Sotomayor. THIS GUY IS SUCH A PRICK I can't even bring myself to write him anymore. He has to go next time he is up for election.

Glenn

[BryanG]

Just read the news myself ... What is up with him?

[enfield]

He's taking his last shot at us ingrates before we retire him. Bet he won't move back to Maryville.

[Guest HexHead]

Well, I used the email he sent me a week ago to tell me what a big supporter of the 2nd Amendment he is, to tell him he's useless as a Senator to me now.

[oldogy]

Yeah, and his phone is steady busy.......wonder why!

oldogy

[greenego]

Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander said he was voting for President Barack Obama's nominee despite his differences with her, particularly on gun rights.

"Even though Judge Sotomayor's political and judicial philosophy may be different than mine, especially regarding Second Amendments rights, I will vote to confirm her because she is well qualified by experience, temperament, character and intellect to serve," Alexander said in a speech on the Senate floor.

[Guest SUNTZU]

You'd think we could all learn a lesson from this and really do a serious check into someone's background before voting them into such a high position. What a chicken**** thing to do.

[macville]

I love that he keeps giving us gold bullets to shoot at him in the next election.

Who is willing to step up right now and say they will run against him in the next election?

Matthew

[Guest dlstewart01]

Just sent Lamar this e-mail....

Just wanted to know after Lamar votes for Sotomayor for the Supreme court will he make the announcement that he is switching parties and joining the democrats. He might as well as he will not be getting many republican votes after betraying us.

[Tim Nunan]

Stick a fork in him... he's done.

[Bigiron]

No one respects a traitor. God only knows how much damage he can cause before we vote him out.

[E4 No More]

I love that he keeps giving us gold bullets to shoot at him in the next election.

Who is willing to step up right now and say they will run against him in the next election?

Matthew

I'm your huckleberry if you raise the cash to run against him. I like the sound of Senator Jewell!

[greenego]

Stick a fork in him... he's done.

+1

He will not run for reelection.

[Guest tnvolfan]

Well folks, he's gone too far this time!!

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander said Thursday he would support Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court, breaking with Republican leaders who have questioned whether she would bring a bias to the bench.

Alexander, the No. 3 Republican in Senate leadership, said that her “political and judicial philosophy may be different than mine, especially regarding Second Amendment rights.â€

But the Tennessee Republican added: “I will vote to confirm her because she is well-qualified by experience, temperament, character and intellect to serve as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court.â€

Sotomayor is expected to be confirmed next week by the Senate. The only real question is how many Republicans vote for her, and so far, only a handful of GOP senators have said they will back her.

In announcing his support, Alexander is breaking with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Whip Jon Kyl, GOP Policy Chairman John Thune and GOP campaign chief John Cornyn who are all lining up against her nomination. The only other member of GOP leadership — Conference Vice Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski — has yet to announce her position.

Alexander criticized then-Sen. Barack Obama and Democratic senators for voting against John Roberts’s nomination for chief justice in 2005, “solely because they disagreed with what Sen. Obama described as Roberts’s ‘overarching political philosophy’ and ‘his work in the White House and the solicitor general’s office’ that ‘consistently sided’ with ‘the strong in opposition to the weak.’â€

“Today, it would be equally wrong for me to vote against Judge Sotomayor solely because she is not on my side on some issues,†Alexander said.

Alexander’s support comes as some GOP senators are grappling with whether to oppose a nomination they view as qualified but ideologically different. Some say that Democrats’ refusal to support qualified nominees in the Bush era has made judicial battles more partisan, but Alexander said that he wanted to bring the Senate back to previous situations where nominees were judged solely on their credentials.

“It is my hope that my vote now not only will help to confirm a well-qualified nominee but will help to return the Senate to the practice only recently lost of inquiring diligently into qualifications of a nominee and then accepting that elections have consequences, one of which is to confer upon the president the constitutional right to nominate justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.â€

[Chief07]

Can't say that I am shocked. Everyone call this knucklehead and tell him NO!

Let him know if he wants to keep his job he needs to vote against her.

-She has no respect for the Constitution

- She is against the second ammendment

-She makes rulings based on race not facts

-She has no creditabily with the Supreme Court. 6 of her rulings were overturned

- She legislates from the bench and does not go by the Constitution

- She does not deserve a life time appointment

Call Lemar and tell him NO!

[bubbiesdad]

You mean you're surprised?

[Guest Jcochran88]

Gone to far this time? What about the other times this year alone!!! He needs to be sent packing!

[dkd83]

Regardless of anyone's particular party allegiance, how can any self-respecting Tennessean vote for this duplicitous (insert favorite expletive here) ever again after the last year and a half?

[Guest tnvolfan]

Well, I just sent him a letter telling him I'd never vote for him again, not even for dog-catcher. I don't think he could get elected in East Tennessee again for anything! This is one person who will be campaigning against this scumbag!

[eapking]

Ok, Lamar just lost my vote in the next election he's in. NRA needs to drop his rating to a D (for dummy).

[56FordGuy]

Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander said he was voting for President Barack Obama's nominee despite his differences with her, particularly on gun rights.

"Even though Judge Sotomayor's political and judicial philosophy may be different than mine, especially regarding Second Amendments rights, I will vote to confirm her because she is well qualified by experience, temperament, character and intellect to serve," Alexander said in a speech on the Senate floor.

Right, that would be the reason that...what was it, 5 out of 7 or 6 out of 7 of her rulings have been overturned by the Supreme Court?

Stick a fork in him... he's done.

I hope so. We need a conservative candidate to run against him.

[Guest tnmale46]

lost my votes long ago

[K191145]

Is there any way in Tennessee law that we can have a recall election like California?

[Guest 3pugguy]

+1...this sure reeks of playing to the Hispanic voting block and makes me wonder if our esteemed Mr. Alexander has something in mind when he is gone from the Senate (and I cannot imagine him getting reelected, given his recent record).

On a bright note, some of the glitter is starting to wear off of the current admin and people are starting to question things...we can only hope the Chinese don't completely own us due our mounting debt by the time sanity returns.

Crikey...

[Guest 3pugguy]

No one respects a traitor. God only knows how much damage he can cause before we vote him out.

He is like a willow twig, for sure, on his votes - bendy and not too solid. It really makes me wonder why a guy like him, who cannot need money and has had a great life (at least it looks to have been) would not be the firmest of firm on issues, that is, he could be so very effective if he would stay on course.