Why is it that when liberals want to advocate their ideas before the American public, they suddenly take on conservative language and become completely disingenuous about their intentions? Democrats always claim to have the better ideas when it comes to leading America forward, and yet, their refusal to sell their ideas for what they are, big-government liberalism, shows that they may believe Americans think otherwise.
Whether it is Barack Obama promising to cut 95% of Americans’ taxes, instead of admitting that he wants be expand the government’s role in redistributing wealth, or the Democrats’ support of the misnomer Employee Free Choice Act, which removes an employee’s right to a secret ballot in union elections, liberals always disguise their leftist agendas with conservative talking points. I will happily support the Democrats the day they actually advocate meaningful tax reform, and support workers’ rights over the monopoly of overgrown unions.
Most recently, Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings have displayed this pattern of liberals hiding their true political leanings from the American public. Much has been said about Sotomayor’s disingenuous attempt to sweep her “wise latina” comments under the rug. All of this is in an effort by Sotomayor, and her Democratic supporters to relabel her as mainstream rather than an individual who relishes in identity politics.
Sotomayor has also been attempting to claim that her judicial philosophy is more in line with strict constructionists than is actually so. During testimony, Sotomayor was quick to say that “[judges] apply law to facts. We do not apply feelings to facts.” Her statements seem to be at odds with the man who appointed her, as President Obama explicitly stated that he believed that the “quality of empathy…[is] an essential ingredient” for a Supreme Court Justice. Of course, now that she is selling her qualifications to the American public, judicial empathy is shoved right out the door. As Senator Graham said in reflection of her testimony, “I think I’m listening to Judge Roberts.”
While much of the breakdown of political discourse in our nation has been accurately blamed on the back-biting between both parties, the left’s continual misrepresentation of their own values is also a culprit, as it makes it impossible for conservatives to engage them on a meaningful level. In this case, instead of having a legitimate and important discussion about whether originalism or legal realism is a better judicial philosophy, Republicans are left to try and play gotcha, while the Democrats snicker about Perry Mason.
The silver lining in this is that Americans don’t seem to be buying the liberal line on Sotomayor completely (although polls have begun to turn in her favor). They also seem to be very wary of the so-called public “choice” being created to compete with private health insurance. While Democrats continue to label their agenda as conservative or mainstream, Americans are waking up and realizing that their reforms are anything but. Hopefully, Americans will spot the wolves among us before any more of our freedoms are picked off.