For the GOP, it's 1967 all over again

GOP Senators on the Judiciary Committee, bereft of any meaningful criticism of Solicitor General Elena Kagan, have given up attacking her. Instead, they've chosen an easier target - Thurgood Marshall.

The GOP goes after Thurgood Marshall

Posted to The Week by Danny on June 29, 2010

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Wow, just wow.

Here's what I wish Kagan's response had been:

Senators Sessions, Kyl, and Grassley, with all due respect, if I am not worthy of confirmation because I am too much like former Justice Thurgood Marshall, then I would rather not be confirmed. I am honored to be associated with him, though I know that I do not deserve to be. If confirmed, I will do my best to live up to the standards he set, with the hope of someday deserving that association.

It's like it's 1967 all over again. Apparently, still smarting from the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the 2010 GOP has decided to revisit the confirmation of Justice Marshall. Perhaps it is in honor of the passing of Sen. Robert Byrd, one of the 11 Senators to vote against Marshall's confirmation.

Perhaps Mitch McConnell should give Trent Lott a call and ask him to reprise his 2002 speech honoring Strom Thurmond and saying that if he'd been elected President "we wouldn't have had all of these problems over the years, either." After all, Sen. Thurmond also voted against Thurgood Marshall's confirmation back in 1967. On second thought, that might be a bad idea. Trent Lott might start asking uncomfortable questions like "explain to me how I lost my leadership position by being nice to an old guy, while these chowderheads get away with this stuff?"

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