Bronx Native and first Hispanic picked to be nomiee for US Supreme Court

[Shortline Bus]

A histroic moment for the US Supreme Court. President Obama has selected a Bronx Native to be nomiee to possibly become the next Judge on the US Supreme Court. If approved by both the US Senate and Congress, she would become the First Latina and only the 3 person of color ever on the bench. Here the AP story.

 

 

 

Obama Makes historic US Supreme Court Pick for Associate Justice.

By BEN FELLER, AP

WASHINGTON (May 26, 2009) — President Barack Obama tapped federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor for the US Supreme Court on Tuesday, officials said, making her the first Hispanic in history picked to wear the robes of a justice.

 

If confirmed by the Senate, Sotomayor, 54, would succeed retiring Justice David Souter. She first gained both national and international attention when she ruled against management/owners in the 1995 Major League Baseball strike after the players union sued in illegal job actions.

 

Administration officials say Sotomayor would bring more judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice confirmed in the past 70 years.

A formal announcement was expected at midmorning.

Obama had said publicly he wanted a justice who combined intellect and empathy — the ability to understand the troubles of everyday Americans.

 

Democrats hold a large majority in the Senate, and barring the unexpected, Sotomayor's confirmation should be assured.

If approved, she would join Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the second woman on the current court.

 

Sotomayor is a self-described "Newyorkrican" who grew up in a Bronx housing project after her parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico. She has dealt with diabetes since age 8 and lost her father at age 9, growing up under the care of her mother in humble surroundings. As a girl, inspired by the Perry Mason television show, she knew she wanted to be a judge.

 

A graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School, a former prosecutor and private attorney, Sotomayor became a federal judge for the Southern District of New York in 1992. The district covers New York, Vermont and Connecticut.

As a judge, she has a bipartisan pedigree. She was first appointed by a Republican, President George H.W. Bush in 1992, then named an appeals judge by President Bill Clinton in 1997.

At her Senate confirmation hearing more than a decade ago, she said, "I don't believe we should bend the Constitution under any circumstance. It says what it says. We should do honor to it."

 

In one of her most memorable rulings as federal district judge, Sotomayor essentially salvaged baseball in 1995, ruling with players over owners in a labor strike that had led to the cancellation of the World Series. The Labor strike dealt with Owners trying to force a salary cap that would have ended a free market system still enjoyed by the players. Plus the Owners had tried to restart operations using 'replacement players.'

 

 

As an appellate judge, she sided with the city of New Haven, Conn., in a discrimination case brought by white firefighters after the city threw out results of a promotion exam because too few minorities scored high enough. Ironically, that case is now before the Supreme Court.

 

Obama's nomination is the first by a Democratic president in 15 years.

His announcement also leaves the Senate four months — more than enough by traditional standards — to complete confirmation proceedings before the Court begins its next term in the fall.

 

Republicans have issued conflicting signals about their intentions. While some have threatened filibusters if they deemed Obama's pick too liberal, others have said that is unlikely.

 

Given Sotomayor's selection, any decision to filibuster would presumably carry political risks — Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of the population and an increasingly important one politically.

 

Abortion rights have been a flashpoint in several recent Supreme Court confirmations, although Sotomayor has not authored any controversial rulings on the subject.

Sotomayor's elevation to the appeals court was delayed by Republicans, in part out of concerns she might someday be selected for the Supreme Court. She was ultimately confirmed for the appeals court in 1998 on a 68-28 vote, gathering some Republican support.

 

Among those voting that likely to vote against her selection to the Supreme Court is Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who opposed her nomation in 1997 and now the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee that will hold sway over her confirmation.

 

Now, more than a decade later, Sotomayor possesses credentials Sessions said he wanted in a pick for the high court — years of experience on the bench. Obama had talked openly about the upside of choosing someone outside the judiciary — every single current justice is a former federal appeals court judge — but passed on at least two serious candidates who had never been judges.

 

Sotomayor has spoken openly about her pride in being Latina, and that personal experiences "affect the facts that judges choose to see."

 

"I simply do not know exactly what the difference will be in my judging," she said in a speech in 2002. "But I accept there will be some based on my gender and my Latina heritage."

From the moment Souter announced his resignation, it was widely assumed Obama would select a woman to replace him, and perhaps a Hispanic as well.

 

Other 'finalsts' included federal appeals judge Diane Wood, who was a colleague of the president's at the University of Chicago law school, as well as two members of his administration, Homeland Security Secretary and Former Kansas Govenor Janet Napolitano and Solicitor General-nominee Elena Kagan.

 

If confirmed, Sotomayor is unlikely to alter the ideological balance of the court, since Souter generally sides with the so-called liberals on key 5-4 rulings.

 

But at 54, she is a generation younger that Souter, and liberal outside groups hope she would provide a counterpoint to some of the sharply worded conservative rulings. Hearings on her appointments are expected to start in July.

 

Reactions?

[metsfan]

I think the focus should be on how she performs, not her cultural background, skin color etc. That being said, it's about time the high court got some more diversity that reflects the actual makeup of the country. :tup::tup::tup:

 

I knew i was doing the right thing when i voted for BHO.

 

Remember, that the other female justice may retire, giving the obama administration another chance to make a precedent.

 

- A

[Shortline Bus]

I think the focus should be on how she performs, not her cultural background, skin color etc. That being said, it's about time the high court got some more diversity that reflects the actual makeup of the country. :tup::tup::tup:

 

I knew i was doing the right thing when i voted for BHO.

 

Remember, that the other female justice may retire, giving the obama administration another chance to make a precedent.

 

- A

 

 

Another option which has been discussed over the years going back to at least the FDR days are these two ideas of reforming the US Supreme Court.

 

1)Add '2' more Judges to make the Court have 11 members.

2)Cut the lifetime appointment and make the terms instead of 20-25 years.

[metsfan]

Another option which has been discussed over the years going back to at least the FDR days are these two ideas of reforming the US Supreme Court.

 

1)Add '2' more Judges to make the Court have 11 members.

2)Cut the lifetime appointment and make the terms instead of 20-25 years.

 

 

I think since the population has grown, so should the court.

 

I think since most of the justices only serve that amount of time anyways, it can stay how it is now. They dedicate their life to the job.

 

- A

[Shortline Bus]

I think since the population has grown, so should the court.

 

I think since most of the justices only serve that amount of time anyways, it can stay how it is now. They dedicate their life to the job.

 

- A

 

 

I agree with you bro. '11' Judges on US Supreme Court is fair and make it more diverse.

 

Off topic for second. The US Congress should expand from 435 memebers as well and make Washington DC a City-State with 2 Senators and 2 Congress people.

[Joe]

Another pro-affirmative action racist. Didn't she write an opinion in support of the City of New Haven when they threw their firefighters test out because not enough blacks did well on it?

 

When the results don't match your made-up statistics...CHANGE REALITY. Gotta love it.

[metsfan]

Are you sure she did that, and for those reasons, or are you just upset that it isn't the ideal person you'd want nominated? You shouldn't throw around accusations.

 

Remember, W bush tried to get one of his buddies nominated, a woman with no legal experience at all.

 

Lets not forget the 8 years of nightmare our country has just exited. I think her nomination is a good step in healing some wounds incurred under W.

 

My girlfriend's parents are from Puerto Rico, so i can only wonder how they feel.

 

- A

[Shortline Bus]

Are you sure she did that, and for those reasons, or are you just upset that it isn't the ideal person you'd want nominated? You shouldn't throw around accusations.

 

Remember, W bush tried to get one of his buddies nominated, a woman with no legal experience at all.

 

Lets not forget the 8 years of nightmare our country has just exited. I think her nomination is a good step in healing some wounds incurred under W.

 

My girlfriend's parents are from Puerto Rico, so i can only wonder how they feel.

 

- A

 

 

I dont know Judge Sotomayor that well myself other than her decision that ended the 1994-95 MLB strike/lockout that nearly killed the business.

 

She was correct IMO in ruling for the players when the owners tried to illegally use 'replacement' players for the '95 season. With that said I am not a big fan of Donald Fehr the long time head of the MLB Players Union but that another topic.

 

I think she be confirmed barring a "Clerence Thomas' type last minute personal screw up ie unforseen tax problems, etc. If the GOP tries too hard to block without valid reasoning and only on her liberal views, they will be deeper in hole trying to win in national mid term elections in Fall 2010.

 

Not to mention the GOP will seem like bigots to the US Latino Community as well.

[metsfan]

I dont know Judge Sotomayor that well myself other than her decision that ended the 1994-95 MLB strike/lockout that nearly killed the business.

 

She was correct IMO in ruling for the players when the owners tried to illegally use 'replacement' players for the '95 season. With that said I am not a big fan of Donald Fehr the long time head of the MLB Players Union but that another topic.

 

I think she be confirmed barring a "Clerence Thomas' type last minute personal screw up ie unforseen tax problems, etc. If the GOP tries too hard to block without valid reasoning and only on her liberal views, they will be deeper in hole trying to win in national mid term elections in Fall 2010.

 

Not to mention the GOP will seem like bigots to the US Latino Community as well.

 

Good points all around.

 

- A

[Joe]

Are you sure she did that, and for those reasons, or are you just upset that it isn't the ideal person you'd want nominated? You shouldn't throw around accusations.

 

Remember, W bush tried to get one of his buddies nominated, a woman with no legal experience at all.

 

Lets not forget the 8 years of nightmare our country has just exited. I think her nomination is a good step in healing some wounds incurred under W.

 

I don't know if you heard the news, but George Bush isn't the president anymore. He hasn't been for a few months now.

 

As for your first question, yes, I am sure she did that with the reason stated. Blacks claimed the test was biased against them, so the City of New Haven threw it out to avoid any possible lawsuit. Firefighters who passed then sued the city. Judge Sotomayor, a bastion of equality, supported the City throwing the test out. The case went before the Supreme Court as Ricci v. DiStefano.

 

Her decision in Maloney v. Cuomo that essentially, the state governments do not have to abide by the 2nd Amendment shows how much she follows the Constitution. Unfortunately her decision was a mirror of that in Presser v. Illinois.

[metsfan]

Since you don't know her personally please refrain from speculative accusations. Not everyone is racist believe it or not, & not everyone sees things divided by skin color and superficial physical traits. It's a fact that minorities have a disadvantage, and are discriminated against relentlessly, but there's not just one kind of discrimination, so keep that in mind. As Gandhi once said: Be the change you want to see happen.

 

- A

[Joe]

Fighting racism with more racism will hardly solve the problem. It's a cheaply made band-aid (if that).

 

Odd how you haven't expressed any dismay at this post (emphasis mine):

 

Not to mention the GOP will seem like bigots to the US Latino Community as well.

[Shortline Bus]

Fighting racism with more racism will hardly solve the problem. It's a cheaply made band-aid (if that).

 

Odd how you haven't expressed any dismay at this post (emphasis mine):

 

 

Metsfan please dont close this topic but i think i now know where the rumors of her reputed anti-WASP views came from. Here an AP story.

 

White House: Sotomayor Says She Chose Words Poorly

White House Publishes Family Photos Of Sotomayor On Web Site

 

President Barack Obama on Friday personally sought to deflect criticism about Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, who finds herself under intensifying scrutiny for saying in 2001 that a female Hispanic judge would often reach a better decision than a white male judge.

 

"I'm sure she would have restated it," Obama flatly told NBC News, without indicating how he knew that.

 

The quote in question from Sotomayor has emerged as a rallying call for conservative critics who fear she will offer opinions from the bench with her liberal views, based less on the rule of law and more on her life experience, ethnicity and gender. That debate is likely to play a central role in her Senate confirmation process.

 

Said Sotomayor in 2001: "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."

 

After three days of suggesting that reporters and critics should not dwell on one sentence from a speech, the White House had a different message Friday.

 

"I think if she had the speech to do all over again, I think she'd change that word," presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters.

 

Gibbs said he did not hear that from Sotomayor directly, but rather from people who had talked to her, and he did not identify who those people were. Sotomayor herself has made no public comments about the matter and was not available for comment.

 

 

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

 

Reactions Metfans or others?

[Joe]

For those of you who don't think her statement was racist, consider the following:

 

Prospective justice Jack Smith says the following: "I would hope that a wise White male with the richness of his experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a Latina woman who hasn't lived that life."

 

Now, I wouldn't see that being able to fly, that's for sure.

[INDman]

For those of you who don't think her statement was racist, consider the following:

 

Prospective justice Jack Smith says the following: "I would hope that a wise White male with the richness of his experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a Latina woman who hasn't lived that life."

 

Now, I wouldn't see that being able to fly, that's for sure.

 

You are very correct my friend. Only whites can be racist and only Republicans can be wrong. It is things like this that make this once great country a shame of it former self. I do not mind that a Hispanic woman will be a Supreme Court Justice, I just think that it wrong to make her race an issue.

[Joe]

For sure. I have no tolerance for people who try to make it seem as if their race gives them some sort of advantage over others. It's not even people like you and I who have made her race an issue -- SHE made her race an issue.

 

However, the fact that she has said things like this also raises another question: her attitude towards justice.

[INDman]

For sure. I have no tolerance for people who try to make it seem as if their race gives them some sort of advantage over others. It's not even people like you and I who have made her race an issue -- SHE made her race an issue.

 

However, the fact that she has said things like this also raises another question: her attitude towards justice.

 

I do not like her being a candidate to the Supreme Court because of some of the rulings she has made and some of the views she holds. I couldn't care less about her race as long as she has the qualifications for the position.

[Shortline Bus]

I do not like her being a candidate to the Supreme Court because of some of the rulings she has made and some of the views she holds. I couldn't care less about her race as long as she has the qualifications for the position.

 

That why poltically i am a moderate independent. If these statements she made are true, that is a huge setback on her road to be confirmed. That why i really dislike ultra liberals and unltra consertatives because in most ases they refuse to compromise.

 

I still open minded towards this judge but she better do a better job in proving she be a fair judge on the supreme court and not being a Latina version of Al Shaprton.

[metsfan]

You are very correct my friend. Only whites can be racist and only Republicans can be wrong. It is things like this that make this once great country a shame of it former self. I do not mind that a Hispanic woman will be a Supreme Court Justice, I just think that it wrong to make her race an issue.

 

The idea of "whites" is racist. To divide the human race by physical appearance is not only a flawed concept, but it makes no sense in a country & world here people are for the most part not educated enough, not literate enough, and have a hard time processing complex ideas that conflict with difficulties they are having.

 

To use such terminology only perpetuates the mental aspect of racism.

 

As the reverend said, people should be evaluated by their personality & character & not the color of their skin.

 

I for one am happy with this pick.:cool: :tup:

 

- A