Thursday, July 9, 2009

Will Senate Democrats Bork Frank Ricci?

Frank Ricci, the New Haven firefighter who sued the city for discrimination by refusing to promote him and several other white firefighters and one Hispanic firefighter, will be testifying in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee during Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings which begin on Monday.

Sotomayor, of course, was part of a three judge panel with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that rejected Ricci's claims. However, Sotomayor's decision was overturned by the Supreme Court late last month.

Look for Senate Democrats to villify Ricci. Look for Senate Democrats to accuse him of racial insensitivity if not racism straight up. Look for Senate Democrats to dredge up any indiscretions from his past. Look for Senate Democrats to make fun of his learning disability. Look for Senate Democrats to call him Frank the Firefighter. With Al Franken now a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee don't put anything past them. Anyone who stands in the way of Sotomayor and by extension President Obama will be made an example of.

So I hope Senate Republicans prep Ricci to the nines. Ditto for Ben Vargas, the Hispanic firefighter in the Ricci suit, who will also appear on Capitol Hill.

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