Gingrich decries 'racism,' Sotomayor

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By Christina Bellantoni and Ralph Z. Hallow

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Wednesday called Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor a "racist" for remarks she made in 2001, joining an emerging conservative line of attack and enflaming both sides of the battle as interest groups fundraise over her nomination.

Mr. Gingrich, in his Twitter feed to more than 344,400 followers, called on Judge Sotomayor to withdraw from consideration to the high court. He said her remarks citing ethnic background as a reason for making better legal decisions, if spoken by a white male, would be disqualifying.

"Imagine a judicial nominee said, 'My experience as a white man makes me better than a Latina woman.' New racism is no better than old racism," Mr. Gingrich wrote on Twitter, which he uses regularly to discuss politics or promote his television appearances.

Mr. Gingrich followed his initial tweet a few minutes later with: "White man racist nominee would be forced to withdraw. Latina woman racist should also withdraw." He gained more than 1,000 followers after the remarks.

The White House warned that Republicans should be "exceedingly careful" with such language, and even conservative groups cautioned that going after President Obama's nominee with this line could be toxic to a party losing ground with Hispanic voters.

But conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh told his millions of listeners Wednesday they should charge ahead.

"If the GOP allows itself to be trapped in the false premise that it's racist and sexist and must show the world that it isn't, then the GOP is extinct," Mr. Limbaugh said on his radio program Wednesday.

The widely cited comments Judge Sotomayor made at the University of California, Berkeley eight years ago are: "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."

"Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging," she said.

She went on to make broader points about diversity of experience as it relates to the law, but her comment has been fodder for critics of the impending nomination, and is likely to surface in the confirmation hearings that will take place in July.