In which I lose some respect for Sonia S.

Sotomayor quits women's club after criticism from GOP

GOP criticism isn't just the worst reason not to do something, it's also the best reason to keep doing whatever it is you were doing.

When I first came to this country, being unfamiliar with the leading issues in American politics, the remedy was simple: Subscribe to Jerry Falwell's weekly e-nail newsletter, and then adopt precisely the opposite position to whatever it was he was advocating.

Hate the gays? Love the gays. Accept Jesus? Embrace Satan. Etc.

Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor said she resigned from the Belizean Grove* because she didn't want it to become a distraction during her confirmation hearings, which begin July 13.

That may well be an admirable rationale, in that Judge Sotomayor would prefer the time better spent in helping facilitate a substantive examination of her record and qualifications.

But having watched these Senate characters in action on many occasions, I'm here to tell you that nothing will prevent them from bringing up any nonsensical ephemera they can lay their hands on.

Most of them aren't the slightest bit interested in her jurisprudence anyway. They're there to posture for their respective constituents and the fact that Sotomayor has resigned from her club is certainly not going to restrain them from cross examining her about it.

I mean, come on. After all, the Republicans installed Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, a physician, on the Committee on the Judiciary. All he's going to do is try and get her to stipulate that mentioning "foreign law" is an impeachable offense. E.g., Blackstone's Commentaries.

And now, by popular demand, the best TV Funhouse ever:

To the extent that the statement is making the basic point ...

* OTOH, major props to Sullivan's aggregating the news out of Iran.