Olberman leaves out an important line in Alito's statement

The Left has complained that the now famous quote of Judge Sotomayor was taken out of context. Let's look at the quote in total.

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn‘t lived that life. Each day on the bench, I learn something new about the judicial process and about being a professional Latina woman in a world that sometimes looks at me with suspicion.

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 extend that my limited abilities and capabilities permit me, that I reevaluate them and change as circumstances and cases before me requires. I can and do aspire to be greater than the sum total of my experiences.”

Okay. That's what she said. Note that nothing after the now famous first sentence changes it. She has said that a wise Latina woman with her background would do a better job than whitey. She then expands it, but she doesn't change it.

No place does she say, I am who I am but my job is to understand that and rule based on the law. In fact, she enforces her statement at the close when she writes...."that I reevaluate them and change as circumstances and cases before me requires."

Now the Right has taken her words and used them. The Left has countered that they were taken out of context. I have given you the complete quote and my view on it.

The Left has made other excuses. Among them is that what she said is really no different from what Judge Alito said.

“When a case comes before me involving, let‘s say, someone who is an immigrant,” said the nominee for the Supreme Court, “I can‘t help but think of my own ancestors because it wasn‘t that long ago when they were in that position. I have to say to myself and I do say to myself, you know, this could be your grandfather. This could be your grandmother.”

“When I get a case about discrimination,” the nominee continued, “I have to think about people in my own family who suffered discrimination because of their ethnic background or because of religion or because of gender and I do take that into account.”

The problem is that the quote is incomplete, which is a far different cry that being out of context.

Both Sotomayor's and Alito's quote came from Keith Olberman's show on May 27.

Why am I not surprised?

But what, you may ask, is incomplete? What was left out? Well, sometimes answers come in strange places. Here is a video clip from KOS. Listen carefully starting at around the 1:35 mark..........

When a case comes before me involving, let‘s say, someone who is an immigrant,” said the nominee for the Supreme Court, “I can‘t help but think of my own ancestors because it wasn‘t that long ago when they were in that position and here is what was left out....."It's my job to apply the law...it's not my job to change or bend the law to achieve a result..." I have to say to myself and I do say to myself, you know, this could be your grandfather. This could be your grandmother.”

Now I am not an expert transcriber, so I may not have the words left out on Olbermann's show exact. But they are very, very close.

Now, why would someone leave out those words?? Simple. Because they change the meaning of what Alito said from him agreeing with the thrust of Sotomayor's comment to totally rejecting her comment.

Hat tip to The Dark Avenger who, over at TalkLeft, used the quote and got my bull shit detector fully engaged.

Thanks DA. That Secretary position is still open if you pick up cleaning and make coffee.