According to the AP:

Sonia Sotomayor's success at her Supreme Court confirmation hearing has some Republicans in a tight spot, with conservative senators forced to weigh the political calculus of voting on the court's first Latina nominee, who also is the first liberal nominee in 15 years.

The underlying politics are dicey for Republicans. They must be careful to keep faith with constituents like National Rifle Association members who oppose her, yet avoid offending the Hispanic voters who represent the fastest-growing segment of the electorate.

Roland Burris who has been appointed as the Senator from Illinois was quoted by the AP as saying: “We are hoping and praying that they will not be able to deny what the Lord has ordained.”

Wonder what would be the media’s response if a Republican or conservative said she or he was ordained by the Lord to be a senator?

For eight years the Democrats have been irate over the “stolen” presidential election of 2000.

Wonder what they would be saying if a Republican were selected for senator from Minnesota the way Al Franken has bee selected?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had a conversation with Governor Rod Blagojevich about filling Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.

Given what has transpired, what if the Republican Senate Majority Leader had a conversation with a Republican governor about filling a vacancy?

Then there is Charlie Rangel.

One can only imagine the screams from Democrats and the media if he were a Republican.

By my count there have been 64 U.S. Senators from New York State. Everything considered it is all but amazing that only two of these might be considered carpetbaggers: Robert F. Kennedy and Hillary Rodham Clinton. The other 62 were either native New Yorkers, or at least lived in the state for some time before being elected to the U.S. Senate.

It is also of minor interest that both Robert F. Kennedy and Hillary Rodham Clinton held the same Senate seat as Class 1 U.S. Senators belonging to the electoral cycle that were elected in the first election of 1788/1789.

Should Caroline Kennedy be selected to fill Secretary of State designate Clinton’s Senate seat she certainly would not be a carpetbagger. 

So, what are the qualifications to be a United States Senator? Pretty simple according to the U.S. Constitution, Article 1 Section 3:

No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.

That is it; there are no other legal requirements.

The choice is solely the governor’s.

There is nothing to be gained by running a negative campaign about Caroline Kennedy, so Republicans and conservatives should treat her with respect, welcome her to the Senate, and prepare for the next election.