Posted on 05/28/2009 8:47:09 AM PDT by AIM Freeper
It was a foregone conclusion that The New York Times would love Judge Sonia Sotomayor, Obama’s Supreme Court nominee.
A long-time practitioner of identity politics, the paper is fixated on race, gender and class. With Sotomayor, it has a nominee who satisfies all three.
In yesterday’s editorial, The Times trilled, “It’s impossible not to be moved by Judge Sotomayor’s story — born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents and brought up in a city housing project.”
The left believes quotas should even be applied to seats on the Supreme Court. At last, we have an Hispanic nominee — hooray, hooray.
Sotomayer herself is an advocate of identity politics. In one of her lectures, she opined, “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life” — as if race and gender conferred some special wisdom.
Lady Justice wears a blindfold for a reason. Cases are to be decided on their merits, not on the race, gender, ethnicity or income of litigants. The same should apply to candidates for the highest court in the land.
We should judge nominees on experience, integrity and adherence to the original intent of the Founding Fathers. Race, gender, ethnicity, religion and class background should be irrelevant here.
We don’t need a Supreme Court that “looks like America” but one whose thinking reflects authentic American values and adherence to the Constitution as it was written.
In this regard, Sotomayer fails miserably.
In a 2005 lecture at the Duke University Law School, Sotomayor as much as said she believes the role of the courts is to make law. She also wrote the forward to a book called “The International Judge: An Introduction to the Men and Women Who Decide The World’s Cases,” which strongly suggests she believes foreign law should be applied to U.S. cases.
In deciding whether Sonia Sotomayer should join the Supreme Court, her race and gender should be as relevant as her taste in music or breakfast cereal.
Obama may get a couple of additional picks this term--even if Sotomayor fails to be confirmed, whoever gets that seat will be a female (like with Clinton's attorney general selection). But Ginsberg is one of the likelier retirees, so after 4 years it could be a court with 6 men and 3 women.
If Obama were to propose enlarging the court expressly to give him an opportunity to select more women (to make the court more closely reflect the actual sex ratios in the population), Congress might be willing to go along.
When Bush nominated Roberts and Alito the American public was mostly thrilled.
We need to put up a fight. If SC justices were elected, Sotomayor would be unelectable.
Although it will be tough to stop Sotomayor from reaching the bench, it could help wake America up for 2010 and 2012.
Miguel Estrada is back?
By 2010 Sotomayor can rule in favor of her own ruling to ban guns.
Too late.
News reports says Hispanic leaders cautioned critics that they risked alienating Latinos by seeming to pronounce judgment before Sotomayor has an opportunity to defend herself. “If there is the perception that somehow she is being treated unfairly or they are distorting her record or comments, I think there will be a backlash in the Latino community,” said Janet Murguía, president of the National Council of La Raza. “All we want is for the process to be respectful and fair. There could be great resentment within the Latino community if it is seen somehow that she is not being treated with the respect due to a Supreme Court nominee.” Murguía said Hispanics are “extremely excited” about the nomination. “This is a monumental moment for the Latino community. It’s a milestone moment,” she said.
REACTION Since when is the USSC a vehicle to shore up one's self-esteem? These whiners can't make it on their owm----US citizens have to subsidize their every whim. Now we are forced to destroy our freedoms amd eviscerate our culture so these people can "feel good about themselves."
Being Hispanic is not a criteria for a Supreme Court seat. Too much is being made about Soto-The-Hyphenate than her actual judicial record. La Raza threatens "be respectful and fair" ...... ......that's latino for "close your eyes, ears and mouths ....or else we get physical."
Watta buncha Third World parasites.
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