Judge Sonia Sotomayor, The Republican Party and Alienating the Latino Vote

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As the confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor approach, members of the Republican Party have launched an all-front attack on the Judge's credentials, ethnicity and even her intelligence. If the GOP keeps up this charade, it only hurts its standing in the Latino community. It is disingenuous to even think that Latinos are not paying attention to what is occurring at this time.

In addition, given the Party's rhetoric of 2005, which at times bordered on hatred, mounting an attack such as this on Sotomayor only deepens the resentment of the Latino community towards the GOP.

The GOP leaders, if any, must remember that in 2004, President Bush managed to secure 41% of the Latino vote. In 2008, John McCain only managed to lock in 31% of the same vote. That is a 10% drop.

Having said that, any attack on the Judge's character is a slippery slope and a dangerous one, which could keep the Republican Party in the minority at all electoral levels for years to come.

Attack at your own risk and peril!