Jeff Sessions Embarrasses Himself Again ::

Apparently Jeff Sessions doesn't know which Supreme is retiring. I was flipping through the channels last evening and happened upon Session's mug on Fox News with Greta Van Susteren so I stopped to hear just what he was saying knowing that it would be about Sonia Sotomayor. Apparently the clip was recorded earlier, but Sessions referenced Sotomayor replacing a retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. I wonder if that would be a manifestation of wishful thinking on his part, but it is actually Justice David Souter doing the retirement bit. You would think that the ranking republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee would know which Supreme Court justice was retiring!

Here is Sessions official statement regarding the Sotomayor nomination:

"The president's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court today is an important step in a constitutional process that includes the advice and consent of the Senate. I congratulate Ms. Sotomayor on her nomination.

"The Senate Judiciary Committee's role is to act on behalf of the American people to carefully scrutinize Ms. Sotomayor's qualifications, experience, and record. We will engage in a fair and thorough examination of Ms. Sotomayor's previous judicial opinions, speeches, and academic writings to determine if she has demonstrated the characteristics that great judges share: integrity, impartiality, legal expertise, and a deep and unwavering respect for the rule of law.

"Of primary importance, we must determine if Ms. Sotomayor understands that the proper role of a judge is to act as a neutral umpire of the law, calling balls and strikes fairly without regard to one's own personal preferences or political views.

"President Obama has stated his desire to have a full court seated at the start of its next term, a reasonable goal toward which the Judiciary Committee should responsibly and diligently move. But we must remember that a Supreme Court justice sits for a lifetime appointment, and the Senate hearing is the only opportunity for the American people to engage in the nomination process. Adequate preparation will take time. I will insist that, consistent with recent confirmation processes, every senator be accorded the opportunity to prepare, ask questions, and receive full and complete answers.

"I look forward to the coming months as we move forward with this process. As I told the president this morning, I will do all I can to ensure that Ms. Sotomayor receives a fair hearing before the Committee. I firmly believe that the American people deserve a full and thoughtful debate about the proper role of a judge in the American legal system, an issue that will be central to our review of Ms. Sotomayor's record."

I look forward to many cringe inducing statements and questions from our ranking representative on the Judiciary Committee during the confirmation hearings!