More

Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor's Record Shows Rulings Within Liberal Mainstream

Sotomayor

First Posted: 06/27/09 06:12 AM ET Updated: 05/25/11 02:25 PM ET

Wall Street Journal:

WASHINGTON -- Judge Sonia Sotomayor has built a record on such issues as civil rights and employment law that puts her within the mainstream of Democratic judicial appointees.

Read the whole story: Wall Street Journal

FOLLOW HUFFPOST POLITICS

WASHINGTON -- Judge Sonia Sotomayor has built a record on such issues as civil rights and employment law that puts her within the mainstream of Democratic judicial appointees.
WASHINGTON -- Judge Sonia Sotomayor has built a record on such issues as civil rights and employment law that puts her within the mainstream of Democratic judicial appointees.
Filed by Marcus Baram  | 
 
 
  • Comments
  • 1,439
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Comments are closed for this entry
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
Page: 1 2 3 4 5  Next ›  Last »  (16 total)
05:40 AM on 05/28/2009
Using the 'slam dunk' rule, the only prominent candidate who is
female + Ivy League (Harvard or Yale) + a serving judge was Sonia
Sotomayor. The rest get to wait for next time & will they ever be ready.
(Good luck, non Ivy-Leaguers & non-Judges!)
09:06 PM on 05/29/2009
The oldest remaining justice 'John Paul Stevens was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 20, 1920. He was graduated from the University of Chicago in 1941 and from Northwestern University School of Law in 1947.' [http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/justices/histBio.html]

It would be excellent if new Justices could be added who are not Ivy Leaguers.
Maybe when Steven retires, that'll happen. Texas, Emory, Gonzaga even.
Hopefully not Liberty or Regent, but you never know.
08:51 PM on 05/27/2009
Liberal mainstream? Oh good; at least shes not a communist.
08:36 PM on 05/27/2009
I'm a liberal. I know liberals. She's no liberal, just a main-line Democrat.
04:59 PM on 05/27/2009
Is anyone concerned that Roe. v. Wade will almost certainly be overturned?
What about our daughters???
Kali
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
naschkatze
A free man creates himself.
06:36 PM on 05/27/2009
I'm not worried about that, but the Congress should get off their a$$e$ and get that FOCA bill passed. What I am concerned about is that she will side with the 5 (and Obama) on upholding all the attacks Bush made on the Constitution and Obama not going after war crimes.
04:21 PM on 05/27/2009
None of this makes any difference,she will be confirmed,she was nominated for political gain cant blame him thats the world we now live in.Say what you want about the left or right evrything from this election forward is all about party first country second and our enemies see it as does the whole world.HOPE and CHANGE well hope for the best, prepare yourself for the change thats worse!!
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
naschkatze
A free man creates himself.
06:37 PM on 05/27/2009
I think it's all a kabuki dance, and the right really is not that concerned about her.
Citizen54
Conservatism is a con job!
02:53 PM on 05/27/2009
Let's hope she is questioned about her philosophy and rulings regarding corporations. Roberts is clearly a corporate pawn, but not once in his hearings was he asked about the power of big business vs. the individual. Instead of focusing on Rowe v Wade, let's look into this nominee's corporate vs. democratic values. Corporations are the most powerful force in America, and it would be good to have another justice who isn't in their pocket. That's more important than race or gender.
05:48 PM on 05/27/2009
What questioned by the people in the beds and pockets of those same corporations? You'll have to excuse me if I don't hold my breath.

I'm starting to fear Jonathan Turley was correct when he said a couple weeks ago on Countdown, that we are seeing "the greatest bait-and-switch ever pulled on the American public".

Granted it is still early into his administration and as a smart poker player Obama is slow playing to the very end, but the question is just who is he actually bluffing? I'm worried that this and his emerging national security/civil liberty policies are his tells showing.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
naschkatze
A free man creates himself.
06:39 PM on 05/27/2009
I saw Turley's comment on "the greatest bait-and-switch ever pulled on the American public" too. I agree with him 100%, but unfortunately our fellow sheep will not realize it until it's too late.
02:51 PM on 05/27/2009
When President Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, Sen. Joe Biden had this to say:

"I think that the only reason Clarence Thomas is on the Court is because he is black. I don't believe he could have won had he been white. And the reason is, I think it was a cynical ploy by President Bush."

It's two decades later. Clarence Thomas has proven himself a smart, tough, and effective jurist. Joe Biden is now vice president - and his administration has made what looks very like a pick motivated by affirmative action considerations. Maybe somebody should ask Joe Biden whether Sonia Sotomayor would have been nominated if she had been male and white. And the great thing about Joe Biden is -- the guy might blurt the truth.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
TJCole
02:02 PM on 05/27/2009
Her decisions coincide with the most conservative corporate Judges 95% of the time, that's a well known fact, and her Flight 109 Decision was the most disingenuous callous work of a corporate shyster and hack....

So much for empathy...

Anyway we are stuck with her, and she is certainly no Scalia, let's just hoe he doesn't recruit her into the Federalist Society...!
05:51 PM on 05/27/2009
So the Republicans were neo-cons, but it seems as the new Democratic leadership are starting to look like Decepticons.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
naschkatze
A free man creates himself.
06:40 PM on 05/27/2009
Yep.
01:55 PM on 05/27/2009
Funny how white people can see only other whites as unbiased ( yeah right) and capable of good decisions but minorities run all willy nilly fro their own kind.

It is the same mentality that didn't gather up all white males and put them in concentration camps when Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in an act of domestic terrorism, but they freak out and scream for the incarceration of minority groups after one of their "ilk" commits a crime assuming they are all hive minded idiots.

Unbiased? Uh huh...
photo
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
henrywolff
02:12 PM on 05/27/2009
Right, lots of U.S. citizens in concentration camps.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
PoohBear
02:12 PM on 05/27/2009
Funny how racists unfairly group people according to their race.
photo
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
henrywolff
01:52 PM on 05/27/2009
Unlike this nomination, Americans are not racist.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-supreme-court-poll14-2009may14,0,2842269.story
photo
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
Xavieer
02:09 PM on 05/27/2009
Not Americans just tro//s............
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
TJCole
01:13 PM on 05/27/2009
She votes 95% of the time with right wingers, so why must they lie, she's not liberal when there's corporations or money involved...

95% of the time she votes with right wingers that's what we got...!
photo
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
breakingnews3
01:33 PM on 05/27/2009
She is not in Congress. She does not "vote". She decides on the rule of law. If that determination happens to support a Republican point of view, then so be it. She is not there to make the law, just rule on it.
Citizen54
Conservatism is a con job!
02:54 PM on 05/27/2009
Call it what you like, but the Supreme Court makes the law in this country.
01:36 PM on 05/27/2009
I vote this to be the dumbest comment of the day
photo
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
breakingnews3
01:41 PM on 05/27/2009
2nd the motion.....
01:01 PM on 05/27/2009
Sotomayor..not that competent..get another who is more qualified. Olgetree was more qualified. Just goes to show Obama likes to recycle from the Clntons...does seem to have any thought processes on his cabinet picks or justices. Steppin fetchin!
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
01:03 PM on 05/27/2009
Supreme Court has had 6 white male justices who had NO judicial experience, but of course a man who uses Steppin fetchin as an insult was probably home schooled and wouldn't know that.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
naschkatze
A free man creates himself.
01:10 PM on 05/27/2009
Talkin' about Clarence Thomas?
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
12:52 PM on 05/27/2009
So Republicans wanted Judge Sotomayor to legislate from the bench when it benefited a white man, but when it benefits poor people, women aborting babies, or minorities, she isn't allowed to legislate from the bench.

Repubs should be proud of her on the Ricci v. DeStefano

She did not legislate from the bench. Or do you want it both ways, Repubs.

Make up your minds.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
WowJones
Trolls are like mosquitoes on acid.
01:10 PM on 05/27/2009
Tiff, none of the Luddites have any idea of the background of that decision, which she based on precedence.
01:20 PM on 05/27/2009
No she didn't
08:39 AM on 05/28/2009
Neither Party has a reputation for standing on its principles. The Supreme Court has long ago been absorbed into the legislative branch to rubber stamp its decisions, the idea of an independent judicial branch died a long time ago.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
VictoriaP
Do Your EFFING Jobs, DC Politicos!!
12:52 PM on 05/27/2009
When will every decision made by a white person assumed to be influenced by his or her whiteness? When will whites be automatically, publicly and critically assessed by the MSM through the lens of white privilege and their underlying inherent motivation to do that which is to the benefit of whites, while detrimental to people of color?
01:21 PM on 05/27/2009
have another one
08:40 AM on 05/28/2009
From reading the comment section, it appears that a lot of people are doing just that.
12:51 PM on 05/27/2009
GORDO and cohorts : where are you ?
you need 20 reversals to limit her to a 95% ruling still-standing rate.
Have you got the reversals ?
It sure does not look like it
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
01:00 PM on 05/27/2009
Reaganwater, slow down. The reversal rate is based on the number of decisions heard by the Supreme Court, by the number of decisions reversed. That is the formula for all courts. The other cases not appealed don't count.
01:04 PM on 05/27/2009
Look -- MORE than 95% of her case rulings stand . So this "poor performance"' ...........
well , let me call it STUFF , is nonsence and misleading at best .