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Sonia Sotomayor - History in the Making

by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke | July 13, 2009 at 04:32 am

468 views | 14 Recommendations | 6 comments

Sonia Sotomayor, appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court is about to make history. If confirmed she will be the first Hispanic Woman to have a seat on the Supreme Court.

The confirmation hearings will be filled with controvery. The Republicans on the Congressional Judiciary Committee will in all likelihood question her on her beliefs, which they profess amount to making policy from the bench.

Two particular issues are likely to surface. One is her ruling on the New Haven Firefighters case, where she sided with the city to stop promotions of white firefighters. This ruling has recently been overturned by the Supreme Court by a vote of 5-4.

The other issue will be her statement that a hispanic woman will make a better judgement than a white male, or words to that effect.

Although Ms. Sotomayor will face the heat, the Democrats have enough votes to confirm her. Thus history will be made later on this summer when the Judiciary Committee votes to confirm her.

Frank Ricci to testify at Judge Sotomayor Hearings

Update: This author watched the opening remarks of this hearings. They were very respectful and most complimentary of Sonia Sotomayor. Senators one after the other emphasized what they would be asking during the confirmation hearings. Statements varied from her remarks about being better as a Hispanic woman to the case of the Connecticut firefighters. Arlen Spectar raised the point that he will be interested in her criteria of what cases the Supreme Court should acccept.

Spectar quoted the wire tapping law and the recent secret CIA program. Those cases were rejected by the Supreme Court and in Spectar's words have caused confusion in the law. He said that it is not known whether or not to brief Congress on this issue is legal or illegal.

Sotomayor in her Opening remarks made clear that a judge's jobe is fidelity to the law. The task of the Judge is not to make the law but to apply the law.

Sonia Sotomayor has decided advantages as she begins the most important trial of her long legal career, a nationally televised consideration of her nomination to be the first Hispanic and just the third woman on the Supreme Court.

Beginning Monday, she will tell her compelling up-from-poverty personal story to a jury tilted strongly in her favor - Democrats hold a comfortable majority on the Senate Judiciary Committee and a filibuster-resistant 60 votes in the Senate.

Still, Republicans signaled that they will press the 55-year-old New Yorker and veteran federal judge to explain past rulings involving discrimination complaints and gun rights, as well as comments that they say raise doubts about Sotomayor's ability to judge cases fairly.

The sharpest comments about her so far came Sunday from Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the senior Republican on the committee.

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Uwe Paschen

at 04:54 on July 13th, 2009

Well, I do not like her, not because she is a Woman, Hispanic or what ever else she may be, but because she is a racist and from what I read so far about her, I would never support her nomination my self.

There are far better candidates that are also Woman and Hispanic then she could ever be her self.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 04:53 on July 13th, 2009

Based on what I have heard, I am of that opinion too, but I will stay openminded and see how she answers some of those hard questions. I am sure she will have to answer them.

158

at 06:55 on July 13th, 2009

She looks like a statue at the hearings.

I predict she will be confirmed with 70+ votes.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 07:05 on July 13th, 2009

She will be tired by the end of the week. She will be challenged. Your prediction presumes that she does well with her answers. Judicial Activism will be a big issue between Democrats and Republicans.

158

at 07:09 on July 13th, 2009

The dems have 60 votes. No more than 3 or 4 will oppose her.

1/3 of reps will support her.

Of course if hshe makes a huge blunder or something bad from her past comes up everything.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 07:26 on July 13th, 2009

Watching the hearings right now. The opening remarks are interesting. Senator Graham said that unless she has a complete melt down she will be confirmed. He said he didn't think she would have that meltdown.