Sonia Sotomayor's appointment was approved by a 13-6 vote of the Senate Judiciary Committee and now goes to the Senate floor for confirmation.
Lindsay Graham was the only Republican who voted for her, and he made the ambiguous statement that he would not have chosen her, but also that Obama's nominating the first-ever Latina to the court is "a big deal." And he added, "America has changed for the better with her selection."
OK. Whatever, Lindsay. I sometimes don't quite understand you, but at least you voted for her.
But the others? Jim Sessions, as "southern" as they come, said "In speech after speech, year after year, Judge Sotomayor set forth a fully formed, I believe, judicial philosophy that conflicts with the great American tradition of blind justice and fidelity to the law as written."
They kept hammering away at her about her speeches and whether she would let her feelings or her bias sway her votes. And no one, no one, could come up with any significant evidence that this was the case in her 17 years on the bench.
So, I ask: Isn't your concern about her "liberal bias" and "swayed by empathy" stances in her speeches totally contradicted by a review of her decisions?
And isn't that, in itself, proof that she can and does put those aside when she makes her decisions in cases strictly according to the law?
Anyway, she passed the committee with flying colors. And she should sail through the Senate and be on the job when the court convenes in the fall.
Ralph
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What I was trying to say is that the discrepancy between the rhetoric in her speeches and her court decisions does not indicate something sinister; she will not become a flaming, liberal, "activist" judge once on the bench.
ReplyDeleteOn the contrary, it seems to me abundant proof that she can do just what she says: put aside her personal feelings when ruling and decide cases by applying the law.
Of course, those of us who think and are not just playing politics know that no decision is ever free from influence by who one is and what one feels. There is no way this cannot influence you in cases where the law is unclear or ambiguous.
But that's just as true of the white male, sanctimonious Republicans. They're just posturing for political purposes.
And I like her. Obama made a really good choice for America. She's striking me as the real deal...
ReplyDeleteI wish the Republican noisemakers would calm down a bit to allow Obama to shine, but it's unlikely. We need some 'whistle blowers' to dromn them out.
Anyway, Obama was a really good choice too.