VIDEO: Alito on empathy and experience (talks about immigrant family and decision-making)

The Hill ^ | 5/28/09 | Eric Zimmerman

[SilvieWaldorfMD]

Daily Kos dug up some video from Samuel Alito's confirmation hearings that might take some wind out of the sails of Sonia Sotomayor's opponents.

Conservatives have criticized Obama for seeking an "empathetic" justice and have lamented that Sotomayor says her life experiences will inform her judicial decisions.

Here's an exchange between Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Alito that comes pretty close to endorsing the empathy-and-experience concept:

[VIDEO AT LINK]

[Mamzelle]

Except that Cobern IS NOT A LAWYER. He doesn’t think like one.

[icwhatudo]

"Conservatives have criticized Obama for seeking an "empathetic" justice and have lamented that Sotomayor says her life experiences will inform her judicial decisions."

Yep, they busted us, that was the main reason...I mean one of the top 2...well 3....ummm well...Im sure some conservative out there complained about that!!!

sigh...

[FreepShop1]

Rove coached Alito to do this empathy shit because the RATs were calling him a bigot.

[FreepShop1]

Only an idiot Sentor would make an issue of this "empathy" crap.

there are only two points to make--she is a RACIST, and she is INCOMPETENT.

[Nachum]

Nowhere does he say he’s better than anyone else for having his life experience. Not the same thing as identity politics and just a cheap shot by the folks at the daily kos and the dirt diggers at the white house.

[csmusaret]

In his answer Alito said it is not his place to bend the law. So empathy or not, the law is the law and a justice is supposed to apply it as written.

[Lets Be Frank]

No time to read read it now, but did Alito say he would make better decisions than other people because of who he is?

[pnh102]

I know... how dare Alito say that his being a whitey male gives him a better perspective on things than a latino female.

[popdonnelly]

What makes the DailyKOS and Eric Zimmerman believe I, or anyone else, is going to take this analogy seriously?

[Roccus]

Whether Alito or Sotomayor, something is terribly wrong here. When we are required to serve as jurors, we are instructed to "throw out" all of our preconceived ideas, beliefs, experiences and prejudices and deliberate solely on the evidence presented and the law. Given this, how can a judge be chosen on the basis of his/her ideas, beliefs, experiences and prejudices? Are jurors held to a higher standard than judges? What has happened to a country that once claimed to be a nation of laws, not men? How can Lady Justice empathize with anyone? She wears a blindfold for just this reason.

[Redbob]

"there are only two points to make--she is a RACIST, and she is INCOMPETENT."

Just stick with "incompetent" - Lord knows she's provided plenty of ammunition for that charge with her ample record of silly and downright erroneous decisions.

Let the Dims peddle their "racism" B.S. until folks are completely immune to the charge!

[FTJM]

Obama supported a filibuster of Alito.