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CNN's Toobin notes suggestion that white men don't carry biases in Sessions' question about "prejudice"

July 14, 2009 12:27 pm ET

From CNN's July 14 coverage of the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor:

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GLORIA BORGER (CNN senior political analyst): The interesting thing about Senator Sessions was that he asked the question: Is there any instance in which you would let your prejudice impact your decisions? And what she said in this statement is that her experience as a woman and a person of color will affect how you judge. So he may have used the wrong word there in asking the question to get the direct answer, because that allowed her to not directly contradict herself, although she clearly did walk back what she said.

JEFFREY TOOBIN (CNN senior legal analyst): You know, what's worth noting -- what --

CANDY CROWLEY (CNN senior political correspondent): I suspect she wanted to use that word, actually.

BORGER: What --

TOOBIN: What's worth noting about --

BORGER: She wanted --

CROWLEY: Prejudice. It's -- sorry -- that Lindsey --

BORGER: Sessions.

CROWLEY -- Sessions wanted to use the word prejudice to attack her.

BORGER: Right, but it allowed her to back -- it allowed her to back out of it very easily.

TOOBIN: What's worth noting about what Jeff Sessions -- the line of questioning -- was that being a white man, that's normal. Everybody else has biases and prejudices --

BORGER: Yeah. Exactly.

TOOBIN: -- but the white man, they don't have any ethnicity. They don't have any gender. They're just like the normal folks -- and I thought that was a little jarring.

Previously: About that Ricci decision ... 

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    • Author by epkklk851 (July 14, 2009 1:00 pm ET)
      4  
      First of all, Jeffery Toobin is presenting what he believes is Sessions' view. Sessions seems to think that white men are normal, without gender and biases and everyone else has a problem. I think this correctly sums up the whole problem with the "Wise Latina" remark. White men see themselves as the good guy, always acting in the best way for everybody, but failing to see that others may be different or have different needs and not see those actions as so neutral and beneficent! There were many white men who helped the Civil Rights movement along, or the women's movement, but there are more who saw it as unnecessary and others who saw it as a threat and acted against the movements. I rather fancy Sessions as the type who views it as a threat.
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      • Author by snoopy (July 14, 2009 2:15 pm ET)
        5  
        You have to wonder why the GOP would choose a racist who was denied a seat on the bench because of his racist views to lead the charge against a hispanic judge. I guess they don't mind being branded as the racist party anymore.
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        • Author by epkklk851 (July 14, 2009 2:20 pm ET)
          5  
          I don't think some of them do. If you have been listening lately, there is an almost palable air of unrepentant, in your face racism, which when called out, results in fits of righteous indignation and charges of racism being leveled at the person doing the calling out.
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    • Author by Craig (July 14, 2009 1:10 pm ET)
      4  
      Thanks Mr. Toobin. That's been the underlying assumption of this line of attack from the very beginning. It's about time somebody said it.
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    • Author by magnolialover (July 14, 2009 1:14 pm ET)
      3  
      Thing is, we ALL carry some biases of one sort or another. To think that someone could sit on the bench, and not be human, but to be an automaton is stupid and ridiculous. I wouldn't expect it from a conservative court nominee, I wouldn't and don't expect it from an Obama nominee.

      These folks are being willfully ignorant of how humans make decisions.
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      • Author by shaggles (July 14, 2009 1:31 pm ET)
        4  
        It's a common claim on the right which Stephen Colbert parodies brilliantly. "Oh. Are you black? I can't tell because I don't see color."
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    • Author by seeryer (July 14, 2009 1:14 pm ET)
      6  
      Funny how right wingers claim racism is not significant when 8 whites and one African American are on the court but the moment a Latina women gets nominated the querstion becaomes, "should whites be scared of Sotomayor?". Should all non whites be scared of the 7 Justices on the Supreme Court that are white? Me thinks Bill O'Reilly will not ask that question.
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      • Author by epkklk851 (July 14, 2009 1:33 pm ET)
        3  
        Bingo! You sum up the issue quite nicely.
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      • Author by shaggles (July 14, 2009 1:33 pm ET)
        5  
        It's not about her being a Latina. It's about her being a liberal. If Dubya had nominated a Latina woman there would be no fear mongering from BillO.
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        • Author by seeryer (July 14, 2009 1:43 pm ET)
          5  
          True. But it seems because Sotomayor used the "I would hope a wise Latina" comment, a special brand of anti liberal justices sprang onto the scene. And with the Ricci case. This is about the first black president nominating the first Latina woman to the Supreme Court and certain segments of white america are showing their true colors. White people have been in such control in America since its inception that one black president and one Latina justice are making the Billo's of the world shake in their boots. This is from a Rant in the Rants and Raves section of my local rag. And the Florida Times Union prints this. It is sad but is a perfect example of where many in this country are:
          "The more the libs pick the pockets of the whites and hand it to the blacks the more the whites will pull back. Their disgust and hatred will grow. There is something smoldering that is unhealthy, almost inhuman in the air in private conversations."How pitiful that this crap would be printed in my morning paper.
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          • Author by shaggles (July 14, 2009 6:10 pm ET)
            1  
            That is once racists rant. I can't believe they would even print trash like that.
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        • Author by snoopy (July 14, 2009 1:49 pm ET)
          3  
          Only problem is Dumya helped alienate the blacks, latinos, asians, and just about every other ethnic group from the republican party. He'd be hard pressed to find a latina judge who'd want the republican nod.
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          • Author by TheKidFromKountyMeath (July 14, 2009 6:51 pm ET)
            1  
            Alberto Gonzales in a dress. It would've been one of the MORE dignified things he did on Dubya's behalf.
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    • Author by progressiveright (July 14, 2009 2:01 pm ET)
      2  
      All people bring their own biases to everything they do regaurdless of wether or not they are a judge. The white bias has weakened the United States by keeping people with other views out of the process for generations and the rightr fears these people being brought into the process.
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    • Author by stullivan (July 14, 2009 2:03 pm ET)
      3  
      Is anyone surprised that if the nominee was anything other than a white male from the south or midwest they would be considered too liberal, too elitist, too hispanic, too african-american, too (insert ethnicity of your choice), too smart, Not Activist enough for the GOP's agenda, etc.

      Toobin hits the mark with the "normal folks" observation regarding the GOP's view of America and Americans. Similar to Palin (and others) comments of "real" americans. If you're not normal, you're one of the THEM (who ever the hell THEM is).

      Sad thing is many (Most?) people can't get past the grandstanding and lecturing to really listen to see if the senators are asking insightful, constructive, valid/reliable questions. But to save everyone the trouble - the answer is: They're not.
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