REIN IN THE NEANDERTHALS

In what can only be described as an attempt to insure that they continue to be viewed as little more than a band of angry white males - who are ready to throw a political temper tantrum at the drop of a hat - a conservative group organized by Manuel Miranda and Mark Levin, a conservative talk show host, is urging Senate Republicans to filibuster (or hold up) Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court. Miranda was an aide to former Tennessee Senator Republican Bill Frist.

For those of you who may have forgotten, Miranda is also famous for tapping into computers to gain access to Democratic political strategies concerning judicial nominees. He was dismissed from his post with Frist for doing so (actually, he was dismissed because he got caught). Other supporters from this Miranda-led group include evangelicals, gun-rights advocates, anti-tax leaders, anti-abortion groups, and libertarians.

The group say their intent is NOT to kill Sotomayor's nomination. Rather they want to provide time for lengthier debate on the merits of Sotomayor's nomination.

On the "merits"? If this is the case, and the group wants to be taken seriously, they need to start speaking up and ostracize those from the conservative wing who want to demean Sotomayor and the process by referring to her as "stupid," a "racist," an "affirmative action pick," and that "Hispanic chick lady."

Simply stretching out the process so the rants of their colleagues can get time to stick is not appropriate. If it's the merits of her qualifications they want to look into they need to start talking about the "merits" of her decisions, and not stand idly by as their ideological brethren call Sotomayor names and bring up quotes that are taken out of context.

Let me repeat, these guys need to shout down the Neanderthals and the knuckledraggers in their movement if they want their call to stretch out the process to be taken seriously.

If they start doing this talking about Sotomayor's qualifications for a few more weeks might even be enlightening. Her experience will carry the day. But something tells me that this isn't the political sideshow this circus act really wants to present. They want to taint and drag out the process. Senate Republicans need to ignore these people.

Stay tuned.

- Mark