Sotomayor: Judges Make Policy, Latinas Better Than Whites
President Obama’s nominee for Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor, has been described by some, mostly Democrats, as having an inflated opinion of herself” and being kind of a bully on the bench. She is also described as the most liberal of the candidates considered by the president, and has handed down some strange opinions from the bench. You can read about some of those opinions at CNSNews.com.
In addition to her opinions, she has made some very controversial remarks about ‘diversity,’ ‘judicial activism’ and female judges vs. male judges knowing that her comments were being taped. For example, the New York Times reported that in 2001, at the annual Judge Mario G. Olmos Law and Cultural Diversity Lecture, Sotomayor had this to say:
I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life. Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, (regarding non-white, female judges) our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging.
Also, there is a 2005 video of Sotomayor, speaking with potential law clerks, saying that a “court of appeals is where policy is made.” She added: “And I know — I know this is on tape, and I should never say that because we don’t make law. I know. O.K. I know. I’m not promoting it. I’m not advocating it …”
Senator Orrin Hatch said about Sotomayor’s nomination, “I’ll tell you one thing, I’m not very happy about judges who will substitute their own policy preferences for what the law really is; who think that they can run the country from the bench when they actually have a limited role. And that role is to interpret the laws made by those who have to stand for reelection.”
Even if the Republican’s choose to launch a filibuster against the nominee, the Democrats can likely override it due to their majority in the Senate. This is another opportunity for the American Citizens to make their feelings known and perhaps change the anticipated confirmation.
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3 Responses to Sotomayor: Judges Make Policy, Latinas Better Than Whites
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About the Author: Bill is a 51 year old IT Professional who enjoys political blogging in his spare time after work and after the daily grind at the gym.
May 27th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
The major question is this: Will she set aside 1) her racist bigotry against white males, and 2) her desire to create policy from the bench in order to function as an impartial judge that interprets the law?
I think we know what the answer is.
The Republicans need to be the loyal opposition here. If they do not oppose this racist woman, then they do not deserve any support from conservatives.
May 27th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
These are two good questions and I hope our Republican senators will step up to the plate and ask her the right questions. Of course, being a liberal, she will say what seems right for the moment.
Thanks for the comment,
Bill