The Arlen Specter of the South rides again

Lindsey Graham has announced, as expected, that he will vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor. When he defends terrorists’ rights, Graham is fond of saying that “it’s not about them, it’s about us.” Similarly, as I argued here and here, Graham’s decision in this instance isn’t about Sotomayor; it’s about Graham.
At Bench Memos, Wendy Long and Matthew Franck are not amused by Graham’s preening and posturing throughout this process. Long makes the case that Graham is even more “activist” than Sotomayor. She concludes, correctly in my view, that Graham’s “pandering comments during the Judiciary Committee hearings. . .were clearly aimed at drawing attention to himself rather than illuminating the role of the Court in our constitutional republic.” Through these comments, says Long, Graham proved that he “lacks courage, statesmanship, and an understanding of the Constitution and rule of law.”