The key words--a consistent part of just about every Republican senator's opening statement in Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings thus far--are the words "bias and prejudice." The ugly racial subtext is immediately obvious--that Sotomayor is a racist who bases her rulings on anti-white prejudice. The thinly veiled pretext, that "bias and prejudice" actually refers to say, political sympathies, is as effective at covering the words' true meaning as a fig leaf on a steroid addled pro-wrestler.
The approach is exemplified by Chuck Grassley, who says he's committed to a "fair hearing" even as he suggests Sotomayor is motivated by prejudice--astounding, considering the amount of time conservatives spend complaining about frivolous accusations of racism.
UPDATE: Russ Feingold mercifully added context to the GOP's incessant hammering of Sotomayor's out-of-context "Wise Latina" statement, noting that she also said "I am reminded each day that I render decisions that affect people concretely and that I owe them constant and complete vigilance in checking my assumptions, presumptions and perspectives and ensuring that to the extent that my limited abilities and capabilities permit me, that I reevaluate them and change as circumstances and cases before me requires."
-- A. Serwer
