John Thune

Posted: June 9th 2009

From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston:

While Democrats are hoping the Senate vote on Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court takes place by the congressional summer recess, Republican Sen. John Thune told CNN Radio Tuesday he thinks the vote might not occur until September.

"I don't think there is any rush, only because the new court doesn't open until October," the South Dakota Republican said in an interview with Mark Preston and Lisa Desjardins.

...

Thune, who said has not yet decided if he will support or oppose Sotomayor, has launched a new Web site: to serve as a conservative clearing house to discuss the nomination.

"What we simply did is created a forum for people from my state to interact with others and to inform them about some of the things that she has said in the past and positions she has taken and what not," Thune said. "We are trying to make it a very open process where people have an opportunity to sort of contribute their input and hear things that she has said herself."

After losing control of the White House, as well as additional seats in the Senate and House in November, Thune said he thinks the GOP has moved beyond the public and painful fight for control of the Republican Party.

"We can't be a narrow party, a geographically narrow party, an ideological narrow party," Thune said. "We have to be a party that really has broad appeal. And I think that's the message. And I think that most of our leaders know that."

While Thune and President Obama are politically ideological opposites, they do share a common interest: basketball.

"I am waiting for my invitation though, however, to go down to the White House and get a game going," Thune said with a laugh.