Political ad

[RJ]

I just saw a Romney attack ad against Rick Santorum. In it, Romney claims Santorum "voted for liberal justice Sotomayor."

What interpretation of the facts can Romney use to say this? Wasn't Santorum long since out of the senate by the time Obama took the office of president, much less nominated Sotomayor?

[Joe Republic]

Well, it was Santorum's own fault that he lost re-election to a bald, obese, physically handicapped man in 2006; who then went on to vote for Sotomayor's confirmation.  Therefore Santorum voted for her too, effectively.

[RJ]

Well, it was Santorum's own fault that he lost re-election to a bald, obese, physically handicapped man in 2006; who then went on to vote for Sotomayor's confirmation.  Therefore Santorum voted for her too, effectively.

Good one...

But seriously couldn't Santorum capitalize on this?

[Likely Voter]

well it is misleading but accurate...typical Romney

Santorum votes for Sotomayor for the Federal Appeals Court in 1998. 25 Republican senators voted for her. Her nomination was somewhat controversial (to right wingers) and was even held up by the GOP for over a year. Limbaugh made a big deal out of it at the time. The notion was that Clinton was trying to set her up to get her onto the supreme court and she was too liberal.

With each conservative FOTM, Romney tries to find an issue where he can position himself to the right of the opponent. I dont think he has gained traction attacking Rick on Unions or earmarks, so this is the latest attempt.

The irony of these kind of attacks is that he is going into the 90s and early 2000s to paint Rick as some kind of non-conservative, when back in those days Romney was practically a marxist (from today's GOP point of view)

[tmthforu94]

He did vote for Sotomayor, did he not?

I think this is fair game, honestly. It'll be easier for Romney to fight back on this as well, since it was somewhat controversial vote. Had she been confirmed easily with just about everyone voting for her, I think Romney would have a more difficult case.

[Likely Voter]

Is there any doubt that if Mitt Romney won his 1994 run for Senate in MA, he would have voted for Sotamayor too?

Just watch the Kennedy Romney debate and tell me that he was campaigning to be a movement conservative who aligned himself with Rush Limbaugh

[Fuzzybigfoot]

Can we see the ad?

[RJ]

He did vote for Sotomayor, did he not?

I think this is fair game, honestly.

Sotomayor has a high profile. If Romney had mentioned some no-name circuit or appeals court judge it would have not had the same effect. I think it's misleading, but perhaps I'm just the wrong political affiliation...

Can we see the ad?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/02/romneys-new-mich-ad-hits-santorum-experience-sotomayor-115488.html

You may have to sit through a 30 second or so commercial, but it's at the end of the article.

[Joe Republic]

As the article also points out, this ad comes out the same day Lamar Alexander endorses Romney.  Alexander voted in favor of Sotomayor's confirmation to the Supreme Court, of course.

[TomC]

As the article also points out, this ad comes out the same day Lamar Alexander endorses Romney.  Alexander voted in favor of Sotomayor's confirmation to the Supreme Court, of course.

I don't think Alexander endorsed, only said he voted for him.

[Simfan34]

Wasn't Sotomayor considered by some to be a possible Bush or McCain appointee to the SCOTUS? I remember reading this somewhere. This again is a non-issue.

[Keystone Phil]

Well, it was Santorum's own fault that he lost re-election to a bald, obese, physically handicapped man in 2006; who then went on to vote for Sotomayor's confirmation.  Therefore Santorum voted for her too, effectively.

Joe, Santorum didn't lose to a bald guy. He lost to a BALD guy.

[Politico]

Well, it was Santorum's own fault that he lost re-election to a bald, obese, physically handicapped man in 2006; who then went on to vote for Sotomayor's confirmation.  Therefore Santorum voted for her too, effectively.

Joe, Santorum didn't lose to a bald guy. He lost to a BALD guy.

There's bald:





And then there's BALD: