Pundit Boxscore for Monday 24 November 2003

SPINSANITY ON SOWELL: Last week, Brendan Nyhan of Spinsanity discussed the controversy over a statement by Senator Ted Kennedy, who referred to some of President Bush's judicial nominees as "Neanderthals". Mr. Nyhan sharply criticized Mr. Kennedy, but then also rebuked conservatives for their response:

However, conservatives eager to take political advantage of Kennedy's comment have insinuated that it was directed specifically at those nominees who are women or racial and ethnic minorities, although there is no indication that this is the case. (To date, six of Bush's nominees have been filibustered - two white men, two white women, one African American woman and one Latino man [Miguel Estrada, whose nomination was later withdrawn].)

Among several conservative commentators who were specifically criticized, Mr. Nyhan pointed to Lying in Ponds pundit Thomas Sowell:

This is an extension of the strategy various Republicans have employed of accusing Democrats of being, as the Washington Post reported, "anti-Catholic, anti-South and anti-Hispanic" for opposing various judicial nominations, reversing charges of bigotry and discrimination that have mostly been leveled by Democrats in the past. Recently, syndicated columnist Thomas Sowell picked up on this tactic, claiming a "lynch mob atmosphere" has "prevailed during confirmation hearings for judges." . . .

Mr. Sowell wrote four consecutive columns on the subject: October 21, October 22, October 24 and October 28.