Sonia Sotomayor has finally finished her ordeal with the Senate Judiciary Committee. She spent over three days testifying before the committee, and the Republicans did everything they could to uncover some fatal flaw with her.They accused her of being an activist judge, a racist, a wild-eyed radical. But they couldn't shake her. She responded to all their questions and accusations with calm and rational answers. She was the perfect example of an intelligent and experienced judge.
Now it comes down to the voting, and it doesn't look like there's any way that Judge Sotomayor can be stopped from taking her rightful place on the United States Supreme Court. In fact, it now looks like even some Senate Republicans will be voting in favor of her appointment.
Yesterday, three Republican senators announced their intention to vote for Ms. Sotomayor. They are Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Indiana), Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Florida).
Some Republicans would like everyone to believe the party is solidly against the nomination, but that is just not true. It wouldnt surprise me if another Republican senator or two also voted for Sotomayor.
Voting against Sotomayor is a sure ticket to retirement, in communities where a large Hispanic vote exists. She is so eminently qualified, as compared particularly with Clarence Thomas, that it would be obviously an insult.
ReplyDeleteAnd why was it not an insult when Miguel Estada, another eminently qualified Hispanic nominee (for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals), was held up for 28 months by the Democrats (to include a 6-month fillibuster), until he finally withdrew himself from consideration out of frustration?
ReplyDeleteEstrada "graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor's degree from Columbia in 1983. He received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree magna cum laude in 1986 from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. After law school, Estrada served as a law clerk to Judge Amalya Lyle Kearse of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He then clerked for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the U.S. Supreme Court during his first year on the Court in 1988." (Source: Wikipedia)