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 She Said One Was Better Than The Other - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 5/27/09 — Thursday, May 28, 2009 —  Q To follow up on Chip, briefly, are you saying that there's no racial dimension and there should be no racial dimension interpreted or drawn from Judge Sotomayor's comments made in 2001 at Berkeley -- after she was confirmed both times by the Senate, so the Senate never had a chance to evaluate that, just to point that out -- that there is no racial dimension? Americans who look at that should think, what, if they think that their might be a racial dimension there? MR. GIBBS: I think, one, I think Americans should read all of what she talked about. Read the full article. I admonished April yesterday for her YouTube clip. Read the whole article, and I think there's -- Q There's a larger contextual point there -- MR. GIBBS: Read a couple of sentences past that and we can certainly discuss that. But more importantly, Major, let's -- as I said to Chip and others, you have somebody with the vast federal judicial experience that she has, not somebody who served on the court for a year or less than a year, but somebody who served on the court for quite some time. I think there's a strong record with which to evaluate. I think we can all move past YouTube snippets and half-sentences and actually look at the honest-to-God record of these nominees -- even as April shakes her head. I think even April will do some due diligence and come to the conclusion that the President came to, that we've nominated somebody that deserves -- Q It's out of her mouth. Those were words that she said out of her mouth. You can admonish YouTube. You can admonish that and talk about her record, but she said these words. Q Well, I'm just asking you, Robert -- MR. GIBBS: I understand, but I'm asking -- Q I'm just asking you if you want to offer -- as the White House had nominated her -- something that you believe the American public should read into it or evaluate from that statement that they read that we haven't heard from the podium so far. So I'm just offering you the opportunity -- MR. GIBBS: I'm sorry, just tell me the last part again. Q Something that the White House wants to add to what Americans who may look at that fair-mindedly and say, this sounds to me as if there's a racial dimension to it, and maybe that might trouble them. Do you have anything to add to that? MR. GIBBS: I think it -- I have confidence in Americans reading not just part of, but the whole statement, and I have confidence in Americans evaluating the full depth of her record and coming to an honest and open-minded conclusion. Q In all fairness, a follow to that -- it's not just a racial dimension, but it's a gender dimension. And do you at least acknowledge that she did say these words? You're asking us to look beyond. MR. GIBBS: I can confirm that it appears likely that she intoned both of those sentences, yes. Q I mean, you're spinning it, trying to make us look at the record. Okay, we look at the record. But we're also looking at her words. MR. GIBBS: Can I just say -- and I want to make sure that I get this on the record -- looking at the record isn't spinning you, okay. Q I know, but you're spinning -- MR. GIBBS: I appreciate that -- Q -- what she actually said. MR. GIBBS: I'm not spinning what she said. If I'm spinning what she said, April, then you at least have to acknowledge that you're not understanding even remotely the full context of what she said in that debate. Right? Q I understand it, but I -- MR. GIBBS: No, no, no, no, no. I just want to know, do you believe that in judging eight seconds, or six seconds of what somebody says in a 40-minute clip, you've fully understood and taken into account the full context of what she said? Q You have to look at the context -- MR. GIBBS: Is that a spin? Q -- but, yes, as well, you have to also see the words that she said. You have to have a whole -- MR. GIBBS: Well, I feel confident that if you look at the context and then listen to the words, you, your listeners, and everyone that you talk to will have a greater and fuller appreciation for exactly what she said, just as I hope that people don't take a 10-second snippet of what you and I are talking about and form some larger conversation. Q Robert, some of us have read the entire speech -- Q Thank you. Q -- and we're wondering if you can explain what she meant. Because some of us who have read the entire, lengthy speech -- MR. GIBBS: And I talked about this yesterday. Let me get -- Q She wasn't saying that a Latina woman judge and a white male judge would have equal views; she said one was better than the other. MR. GIBBS: Here's what I believe. I think she's talking about the unique experiences that she has. I think the next sentence -- I don't have it in front of me -- I think the next sentence denotes that -- Q We want to get it. (Laughter.) MR. GIBBS: I am surprised you don't have it, right, April. Have you -- cue your YouTube up right there on your Blackberry. Again, I think if you look at the totality of this, if you look at the next few sentences, I have every confidence that people will come to the conclusion that -- and again, and look at her whole record. Q You're not spinning us. We're asking you, spin us. (Laughter.) MR. GIBBS: I appreciate -- Q Explain what you think she meant. Q Thank you. MR. GIBBS: I have done that now -- Q And why there is no racial component to it. MR. GIBBS: -- I have done that -- Q You dismissed Newt Gingrich as not doing well enough at Princeton or doing as well as Judge Sotomayor at Princeton -- MR. GIBBS: I think -- I don't think -- Q -- and all he's saying is there's a racial component to it, and a fair-minded person could read that and wonder to themselves if there's not a racial component. You deny that. I'm just trying to get an explanation as to why. MR. GIBBS: Well, I'm saying -- I'm also saying you should read all of it. Q We have. MR. GIBBS: I think you should look at the totality of -- (laughter) -- let my look denote that I'm casting doubt on what you just said, April. Q Have you read it? MR. GIBBS: I've read most of it, yes. Q And what conclusion do you draw? And what conclusion does the White House draw? MR. GIBBS: That she has different experiences than -- she has lived a different life than some people have, based on her upbringing; that she understands that -- Q And it's okay, therefore, to say that that different life could lead you naturally to better conclusions than someone who didn't live that life? MR. GIBBS: Or you could certainly lead to different conclusions, because we all have perspectives. Q She said "better." MR. GIBBS: Again, look at the totality of it. I have confidence that people will come to a reasonable conclusion on this. Nominees | Obama Administration | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | Supreme Court | White House Press Corps Labels: Nominees, Obama Administration, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, Supreme Court, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 5:54:00 PM
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