Inhofe: "To Me, I Consider That Racist"
In the days following Pres. Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the SCOTUS, some GOP leaders outside Congress suggested that Sotomayor was "racist" for her now-notorious statement that she hoped "a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion that a white male who hasn't lived that life."
Ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich tweeted that she was a "Latina woman racist" and said she should withdraw. Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh called her a "reverse racist." Ex-Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) likened the Nat'l Council of La Raza, which supports Sotomayor, to the Ku Klux Klan.
GOP leaders in Congress quickly distanced themselves from those comments at the time. But, moments ago, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) hearkened back to them when he addressed the "wise Latina" comment in his floor speech explaining his opposition to Sotomayor's nomination.
"To me," Inhofe said, "I consider that racist."
While Limbaugh never recounted his comment, Gingrich retracted his tweet days later, writing, "My initial reaction was strong and direct -- perhaps too strong and too direct."
"I'm very glad he backed off," Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), the Judiciary Cmte's ranking member, said of Gingrich at the time. "I think that's unusual, that commentators do that, and I think it was very good that he did. I think that will help -- help us. I think that will help us have a real good discussion about the serious issues that the nation faces and that the court faces."
An Inhofe spokesperson did not immediately return a phone call seeking clarification.
Meanwhile, the floor debate -- which began shortly before 6 p.m. tonight -- continues into the prime-time hours, though proceedings are expected to wrap up before 10 p.m.
UPDATE: Inhofe clarifies the statement.
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