GOP Strategy for Sotomayor

It is out of the bag; we all now know who the President has selected to serve on the Supreme Court, Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

She happens to also be the first Hispanic nominee. Unfortunately, that will be tomorrow's headlines, not her controversial opinions or statements of the past.

The nominee, if confirmed, will have the ability to challenge and redefine the constitution, although that isn't their purpose. These judges truly impact our lives in many ways. In a sense, they are in a position to shape the culture of America. This is a lifelong tenure. In the case of Judge Sotomayor, that means she can will likely serve on the Supreme Court for 30 or so years.

Therefore, any nominee should be scrutinized. Every nuance of their life inspected. Judges, after all, should be just; model citizens. Trustworthy. Honest. We have a right to know who they are, what they believe, how they conduct themselves on the bench and in their personal lives. These judges are appointed to serve the American people, and the American people have the right to know everything about them.

The GOP will be in a difficult position. It won't be easy to criticize the record of the first Hispanic nominee. I have just two pieces of advice for the GOP and our elected officials.

Firstly, do not attack Sotomayor. Talk policy. Talk ideology. Oppose her rulings and her thoughts, but do not attack her. The dialogue should be able to exist with or without the nominee. Remind America what conservatism and the GOP stands for. That seems obvious enough.

The second piece of advice is also pretty self apparent. Lately, our Party has been struggling to find a leader, a voice that can resonate throughout the country. In this case, the choice is simple: we need Sen. Mel Martinez to be the spokesperson, the leader of the opposition. He is Hispanic and he is not seeking re-election. This reality sets him free from public opinion and will make his opposition appear sincere than a typical career politician ( ask Veep Cheney described himself as such at the AEI conference).

With the right message and the right messenger, the GOP can dominate the battle to come and demonstrate to the American people the GOP's diversity and adequately paint a detailed image for America's future. We can oppose bad ideas, and still give our "tent" a welcoming vibe. After all, we are the Party of the "shinning city upon a hill".

Immune from GOP?

Today, the first African American President nominated the first Hispanic woman to the highest court in the land, Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Noble. An achievement for racial equality. This president really truly is about change! Wow, hold on...not so fast there buckaroo.

While we all can and should applaud individuals who are successful despite obstacles and celebrate those who break racial and social barriers, President Obama's intentions may not be so sincere.

Judge Sotomayor is an accomplished person; perhaps not the most qualified in the land, but qualified nonetheless. She has without a doubt been an activist judge; utilizing the bench to create policy and push a specific agenda. She is the left ( some would say far left) leaning liberal that Obama has dreamed of nominating since the campaign. Could he find someone more liberal? Maybe. Could he have found a stronger legal powerhouse? Definitely. Will she be confirmed? Without a doubt.

Obama is a exceptionally shrewd politician and his cleverness even makes Bill Clinton look second rate at times. Forget slick Willy, we have Oily Obama.

If you question that, just look how far the man has come in such a short span of time. He didn't leap frog over his seniors, he catapulted. And, the president's brain team, mainly Axelrod and Emanuel, are cut-throat operatives. I can guarantee you that they all sat down and put their heads together about this one and their brainstorming gave birth to the perfect, and I mean perfect, candidate. This administration has won a two-way victory: 1. they will place a left-leaning liberal on the Supreme Court and 2. they will be able to slap the GOP around a bit in the process.

Obama knew that the GOP would oppose any activist judge he put forth. This was going to be another opportunity for the GOP to draw distinct ideological differences between the Democrats and the GOP. It was going to inevitably be a battle of ideas, morals, values; a battle for the very meaning of the constitution. The nomination would have presented the GOP with a phenomenal opportunity to define themselves for the nation. This would be a chance to once again display the president in a poor light while showing the American people concrete differences between the President's vision of this country's future and the GOP.

After the GITMO fiasco, the president could have none of that. He needed to find someone that fit his liberal criteria and, at the same time, would float above any ideological discussions.

With this nominee, the rhetoric will most likely be toned down. The GOP will fear that strong opposition will further alienate the Hispanic community; the fastest growing voting bloc and one that fled from the GOP in 2008. I can promise you that Obama and the Dems will manipulate and control the direction of the conversation. Every time a legitimate objection is raised by the GOP, the Dems will shout "racists".

This is a loose-loose situation. On one hand, the GOP must make a stand. On the other hand, Sotomayor will be immune to the attacks, protected under the banner of racial equality.

Obama isn't a pioneer for racial equality. Nope. But he is one hell of a slick fella. Oily Obama strikes again.