Sonia Sotomayor Approved
Obama's ploy is working Welcome to the USSR
By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Associated Press Writer - 19 mins ago
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday voted to approve Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice over nearly solid Republican opposition, paving the way for a historic confirmation vote next week.
The panel voted 13-6 in favor of Sotomayor, with just one Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, joining Democrats to support her. The nearly party-line tally masked deeper political divisions within GOP ranks about confirming President Barack Obama's first high court nominee.
"I'm deciding to vote for a woman I would not have chosen," Graham said. Obama's choice to nominate the first-ever Latina to the highest court is "a big deal," he added, declaring that, "America has changed for the better with her selection."
The solid Republican vote against Sotomayor on the Judiciary panel reflected the choice many GOP conservatives have made to side with their core supporters and oppose a judge they charge will bring liberal bias and racial and gender prejudices to her decisions. Others in the party, however, are concerned that doing so could hurt their efforts to broaden their base, and particularly alienate Hispanic voters, a fast-growing segment of the electorate.
Democrats, for their part, are lining up solidly in favor of the 55-year-old federal appeals court judge, the daughter of Puerto Rican parents who was raised in a South Bronx housing project and educated in the Ivy League.
"There's not one example - let alone a pattern - of her ruling based on bias or prejudice or sympathy," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the Judiciary Committee chairman. "She has administered justice without favoring one group of persons over another."
The senior Republican, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, countered that Sotomayor's speeches and a few of her rulings show she would let her opinions interfere in decisions.
"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," Sessions said.
But even Sessions acknowledged the landmark nature of Sotomayor's nomination, in a remark that revealed just how certain he is that he'll end up on the losing side of next week's vote.
"I think all of us feel that it's a good thing that we have a Hispanic on the Supreme Court," he said minutes after the Judiciary Committee vote.
Sotomayor is not expected to tip the court's ideological balance, since she's replacing Justice David Souter, a liberal nominated by a Republican president. "She can be no worse than Souter from our point of view," Graham remarked.
Still, Republicans pointed with particular concern to Sotomayor's record on gun and property rights, as well as a much-discussed rejection by her appeals court panel of the reverse discrimination claims of white firefighters denied promotions.
By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Associated Press Writer - 19 mins ago
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday voted to approve Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice over nearly solid Republican opposition, paving the way for a historic confirmation vote next week.
The panel voted 13-6 in favor of Sotomayor, with just one Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, joining Democrats to support her. The nearly party-line tally masked deeper political divisions within GOP ranks about confirming President Barack Obama's first high court nominee.
"I'm deciding to vote for a woman I would not have chosen," Graham said. Obama's choice to nominate the first-ever Latina to the highest court is "a big deal," he added, declaring that, "America has changed for the better with her selection."
The solid Republican vote against Sotomayor on the Judiciary panel reflected the choice many GOP conservatives have made to side with their core supporters and oppose a judge they charge will bring liberal bias and racial and gender prejudices to her decisions. Others in the party, however, are concerned that doing so could hurt their efforts to broaden their base, and particularly alienate Hispanic voters, a fast-growing segment of the electorate.
Democrats, for their part, are lining up solidly in favor of the 55-year-old federal appeals court judge, the daughter of Puerto Rican parents who was raised in a South Bronx housing project and educated in the Ivy League.
"There's not one example - let alone a pattern - of her ruling based on bias or prejudice or sympathy," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the Judiciary Committee chairman. "She has administered justice without favoring one group of persons over another."
The senior Republican, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, countered that Sotomayor's speeches and a few of her rulings show she would let her opinions interfere in decisions.
"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," Sessions said.
But even Sessions acknowledged the landmark nature of Sotomayor's nomination, in a remark that revealed just how certain he is that he'll end up on the losing side of next week's vote.
"I think all of us feel that it's a good thing that we have a Hispanic on the Supreme Court," he said minutes after the Judiciary Committee vote.
Sotomayor is not expected to tip the court's ideological balance, since she's replacing Justice David Souter, a liberal nominated by a Republican president. "She can be no worse than Souter from our point of view," Graham remarked.
Still, Republicans pointed with particular concern to Sotomayor's record on gun and property rights, as well as a much-discussed rejection by her appeals court panel of the reverse discrimination claims of white firefighters denied promotions.
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no worse than the judge she replaces ???? would it be to much to try to get a BETTER replacement ??? or is she also part of the dumbing down of America 0 -
spamcreek,
I hope you feel the same way when she is the swing vote that takes your right to own firearms away! What I have trouble understanding is if so many people want socialism then its only a matter of going straight North. Until the speed Limit signs reads in metric.
People have a certain comfort in believing that our government would never turn on its people they would not now of course a least until they have all of our guns. You know I never seen a gun kill a single person I don't think it has ever happened since they have been invented. I do know that people kill people. I think that it would be a great Idea to get a better replacement, How about one that's not a racist? One that follows the law instead of trying to make it. One that will stand up for the constitution of the United States that has nothing to do with real life experiences of a Latina woman. Do you think BO is a strong believer in the Constitution? If so then why is he taking over Banks and Corporate America and why is he pushing so hard to pass Government controlled health care? When you answer these you will know why he chose a Liberal left wing socialist for the supreme court.0 -
well i'll bet she just has quivering orgasms now that she can make a decision that NO ONE can overturn...so from now on she will have a perfect record......... 0 -
quote:I hope you feel the same way when she is the swing vote that takes your right to own firearms away!
They can take my life. They CANNOT take away that right.
They have just about all they are going to get, far as I am concerned.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Highball
quote:I hope you feel the same way when she is the swing vote that takes your right to own firearms away!
They can take my life. They CANNOT take away that right.
They have just about all they are going to get, far as I am concerned.
I'll second that.
Rights cannot be taken away; they are given up. Samuel may, at some point and time, proclaim 'Mr. and Mrs. America, turn them all in.'
Doesn't mean they will get 100% compliance. I would imagine they'd get around 97%, and the other 3% would simply tell them to go piss up a rope.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Highball
quote:I hope you feel the same way when she is the swing vote that takes your right to own firearms away!
They can take my life. They CANNOT take away that right.
They have just about all they are going to get, far as I am concerned.
I really can't add a damn thing to this statement.
Pretty much sums it up for me also Highball and lord knows, I am a man who is never at a loss for words.0
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