CNN's Jeff Toobin: Sotomayor a 'Moderate Liberal, Like Ginsburg and Breyer'

NewsBusters.org ^ | 05/26/2009 | Matthew Balan

[Pyro7480]

CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin on Tuesday twice labeled President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor a “moderate liberal.” On American Morning, minutes after the Latina judge’s name emerged near the bottom half of the 8 am Eastern hour, Toobin predicted that she would “probably have very little trouble getting confirmed, and who will be a voice like David Souter for moderate liberalism.” Hours later, during The Situation Room program, he predicted that Sotomayor, if confirmed, would rule as a “moderate liberal, like Ginsburg and Breyer.”

American Morning anchor T. J. Holmes brought on the legal analyst to discuss the Obama nominee. Toobin first outlined that Sotomayor was “a very eminent judge....She brings a certain bipartisan aura, because she was originally appointed to the federal district court by the first President Bush....[T]his looks like a very solid pick, someone who will probably have very little trouble getting confirmed, and who will be a voice like David Souter for moderate liberalism.” Minutes before on the CNN program, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz referred to the nominee as “moderate and to the left.” Holmes followed up on this note, and asked, “Is that about right?”

Toobin answered, “I would say that’s -- that’s right. You never know for sure, because circuit court judges are bound by Supreme Court precedent....So certainly she will be to the left on the court, with the three other liberals on the court -- John Paul Stevens, Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We’ll see how liberal she is. I don’t think anyone can know for sure. She probably doesn’t even know at this point.”

[Pyro7480]

It's no longer surprising that the left-wing talking heads can say something like that with a straight face...

[skeeter]

Flat-out lying has become the norm rather than the exception with the MSM.

And they do it so naturally.

[omega4179]

Its natual. 0 just came out and lied just about everything he said today. Shes a radical activist who has been overturned on 4 federal opinions in one case she didn’t even understand the statute that was being questioned.
Affirmative action at its best.

[jeffc]

To most liberals there is no such thing as a “far-left” liberal, they’re all just peace loving “moderate” liberals. Just as the “hateful and mean-spirited” people are always conservatives.

[hugorand]

Chuck Schumer called her a moderate today, too. But that’s no surprise

[dandiegirl]

When are the talking heads going to remind all the liberals about how Bush nominated a Hispanic conservative and they made it nearly impossible for him to advance. This should be said daily because the libs are going to start screaming racism the minute this all gets rolling.

[cranked]

Toobin loves the taste of that kool-aid he drinks; he should be proud. Ooops, virtually everyone at CNN drinks that brand of kool-aid. My bust.

[mort56]

Toobin is a tool, little more than a Democrat Party activist.

[NoobRep]

Lanny Davis is on Hannity now saying Sotomayer doesn’t legislate from the bench. Interesting enough, I thought all left wing whackos wanted activist judges? Why don’t they just admit it and STFU?

[Maelstorm]

A moderate. lol They are wrong. I think this one may come back to bite them. This latina is a Catholic and I don’t think she is going to be a bosom buddy with Ginsberg. I think she is going to disappoint the left just as much as sometimes Justice Kennedy disappoints us. I may be wrong but I have a hunch this nomination might be seen as a mistake by the left.

[DennisR]

Ginsburg a moderate liberal???

[Pyro7480]

I hope you’re right. There are so many bad Catholics out there.

[Parley Baer]

So Jeff the question begs who would you consider to be a full on liberal?

[swmobuffalo]

She’s a gun stealer.

[Red in Blue PA]

The cable company should provide barf bags for every person who gets CNN.

[the_Watchman]

Everybody just needs to calm down! “Moderate Liberal” means they can still be seen in a mirror and they don’t drool (at least in public)! ;)

[Pyro7480]

Sotomayor’s ruled on guns??

[Chesterbelloc]

And Jeff Toobin is a ‘Moderate Intellectual’ like Gomer Pyle or Gilligan.

[muawiyah]

So Toobin thinks this ol'gal is like the top Moonbat of the West, ol'Ruthy Ginsberg!

[Ev Reeman]

If Sotomayor is moderate than so were Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin.