It seems like Republicans are trying to leave a stain among Latino voters.

31 Republicans voted against the first Hispanic to attain a lifelong position of authority in the Judicial Branch of the United States.

Among them was Jeff Sessions, who in addition to his repellance against Sonia Sotomayor, did what he did because it was also a vote against President Barack Obama, who won the majority of the Latino vote against the Republican Joh McCain, a “moderate” who also went against Sotomayor.

Everything that has to do with wise Latinas and fears of bias and activism is already old news, just like the partisan 68 to 31 vote on August 6th in favor of her confirmation. Although past nominations and confirmations have also brought partisan opposition, in this case no one can deny that race and ethnicity carried a great deal of weight. But there will also be a rematch.

In looking towards the elections that are coming around the corner in 2010, it’s worth considering to what extent the “Grand Old Party” made a political mistake.

Rather than building the rejuvenation that this party is looking for, it looks more like they are building a barrier against Hispanics by taking stances against ethnic and ideological inclusion.

Are they preparing their own self destruction just by following their most conservative constituents, including those that fear foreigners and those that ally themselves with the National Rifle Association, saying Sotomayor is a threat to their freedom to bear arms?

The way things are going, they aren’t going to win back the Latino votes they lost in the last presidential election, when Obama conquered most of the  country’s 11 million Latino voters.

They were clumsy, especially the senators from Arizona and Texas, states where many of the 48 million of this country’s Latinos live. It remains to be seen whether Hispanics will repay Kay B Hutchison, leaving this member of the 31 without a vote for the governorship.

Sotomayor’s boricua banana stain is clear, but another stain has spread on this party, one that reminds Latinos who not to vote for.