Up till now, Senate Republicans have taken a somewhat softer, loftier stance on Judge Sonia Sotomayor than the conservative outside groups, ever aware of the possible political ramifications of getting tough with a Latina.
But that will change this week, ramping up to the July 13 confirmation hearing.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-AL, top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, is expected to lead the charge as he and his fellow GOPers take on Sotomayor’s record in a series of Senate floor speeches.
A spokesman for Sessions tells Fox that the focus this week will include Sotomayor’s involvement with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the New Haven firefighters case, as well as role “empathy” and the influence of international law has had on her decisions. Also, members want to focus in on Sotomayor’s gun rights positions.
Members are still waiting for documents related to Sotomayor’s involvement with the PRLDF.
While making tougher speeches, Sessions is also expected to continue a series of more philosophical speeches on “the proper role of a judge in U.S. society,” ie, is she an activist judge, this according to a GOP committee aide?
11 comments:
Riccioac
This is a no win for the Republican party and Conservative.
If conservative want to support my claim of petty grumpy old white men, continue whinning about this highly qualified judge.
Go for it guys the progressive win more then a Supreme Court Justice. We will get a larger slice of the women's vote, all hispanic votes and most new voters.
A white man can make a better conclusion than a Latino woman.
Sark
"A white man can make a better conclusion than a Latino woman"
Keep playing that card the conservatives will have no future.
Riccioac
Sark's comment close to the remarks from Republicans you wanted?
Sotomayor will probably be confirmed. This is distressing as she feels the role of a judge is to legislate from teh bench. However, as a Catholic, she may be the turning point in the votes needed to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
Guy
One of your more reasonable post above.
It appears the real friction point of appointing a Latina judge who has made controversial statements that none of use would ever get away with might actually do more harm than good for the current administration. Too much radical change too quickly will likely drive moderates back towards safer waters.
Sud- Obama is a uniter, ask the liberals. The liberals knew, electing the most partisan liberal in the Senate with the most liberal voting record, would unite us all.
Appointing a racist liberal for a Supreme Court nomination who doesn't believe the 2nd Amendment refers to the People and is a strong believer in Affirmative Action and making policy from the bench, is just what a divided country needs.
Obama truly is pushing the country to the brink, but he isn't going to like the brink.
Sark,
Good points, all of them. This country will indeed be pushed to the brink. One only wonders if it will go beyond that brink. A good flu pandemic at the right time might just do it.
The Supremes override Sotomayor on her white firefighter's ruling.
Will this be the most overturned Supreme Court nominee ever?
This shows Obama's misconceptions of the Constitution and of course hers. Obama might want to watch more closely the Honduran situation. He is trying to stuff the Supreme Court with fellow travelers.
Guess who is now on the Judiciary Committee, Al Franken.
WASHINGTON (AP) - In endorsing Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy did some creative rewriting of history. And he put quote marks around it.
Trying to head off criticism of a controversial comment, Leahy misquoted Sotomayor's own words in kicking off the second day of her confirmation hearings.
Sotomayor's public comments are as much a part of the hearings as her lengthy judicial record. Here's a look at some of the claims made Tuesday about those comments, and the facts.
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LEAHY SAID: "You said that, quote, you 'would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would reach wise decisions.'"
THE FACTS: If that's all Sotomayor said, the quote would barely have mattered to opponents of her nomination. The actual quote, delivered in a 2001 speech to law students at the University of California at Berkeley, was: "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."
Leahy's revision dropped the controversial part of the phrase, the part that has attracted charges of reverse racism.
Sotomayor said her words have been misunderstood. She said she intended to tell students that their experiences would enrich the legal system. But she softened her language Tuesday, say that no ethnic, racial or gender group has an advantage in judging.
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