From Dahlia Lithwick
Today’s award for falsity goes to Sen. Lindsey Graham, who manages to both insult and patronize the nominee while promising in his sweet, porch-swing accent that he “likes her.” He tells her, “There are many positive things about you, and these hearings are designed to talk about the good and the bad, and I never liked appearing before a judge that I thought was a bully. It’s hard enough being a lawyer, having your client there to begin with, without the judge just beating you up for no good reason. Do you think you have a temperament problem?” Judge Sotomayor replies, “No, sir,” looking ready to be sent to the naughty chair, where he more or less sends her just a moment later when he lectures that “these hearings are time for self-reflection.” As Adam Serwer wrote today, “That’s just not a tone of voice you using when speaking to an adult.”
