More on Sotomayor

Republicans will clearly claim that Sotomayor is merely the beneficiary of affirmative action and is therefore not qualified. This is their general take on liberal appointees who benefit from affirmative action, but not on conservatives.
Leaving aside the fact that there is no evidence that Judge Sotomayor benefitted from affirmative action at all, by all accounts (including my own) she is a highly intelligent and accomplished woman, why is it that conservatives only view liberal women and minorities as tainted by affirmative action. Clarence Thomas was a beneficiary of affirmative action and hates the world for it now. George W. Bush was a huge beneficiary of affirmative action as a member of the Bush clan and no Republican will ever admit that he was unfit for low office, let alone high office. That brings me to Sam Alito and John Roberts. If you are choosing judges for the Supreme Court because of how white and reassuring they are to the conservative base, it is also affirmative action.
Contrary to what conservatives claim about their heroes on the court, not a single one of them is all that impressive. Roberts climbed the republican ladder through the Reagan and Bush administrations, and then got a job as a partner at a conservative leaning law firm. His career was impressive, but no better than hundreds of other prominent lawyers. He then went on to deceive the senate and the citizenry of the United States about his radical right wing views. As Chief Justice, he has not been particularly successful, mostly complaining that he and his colleagues are underpaid ($179,000 a year, with life tenure and a full pension at retirement; I am sure many others are crying their eyes out for you John). Alito was not a particularly distinguished judge, and nothing about him justifies the praise the conservatives heaped on him. He did not have a record on the appeals court that anyone would have said – this is a Justice in the making! I haven't discussed Scalia and Thomas, both of whom have been terrible judges. Thomas is an ideologue who refuses to acknowledge any fact that disturbs his conservative agenda. Scalia is a bullying jerk, who regularly writes opinions attempting to embarrass his colleagues and others. Scalia is among the worst judges anywhere (other than those guys in PA sending kids to jail for money).