by Mark Silva
Judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation for the U.S. Supreme Court is "virtually filibuster-proof,'' one Democratic senator said today, but lawmakers should not be forced into any deadline for her confirmation, a Republican leader said.
And Republicans are agreeing today that it's time to shelve the most incendiary criticism that some of the party's most outspoken conservatives have aimed at President Barack Obama's first nominee for the Supreme Court, with the longtime federal jurist from New York poised to become the first Hispanic on the high court.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said today that Sotomayor is headed toward confirmation with her compelling history and moderate record. On ABC News' This Week With George Stephanopoulos, the senator maintained that Sotomayor's comments most criticized comments about her own personal experience - how being a Latina informs her wisdom about some matters -- reflects a respect for the law while acknowledging her own background as the daughter of Puerto Rican parents.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said today that, with so many of legal opinions of the judge to review - after 11 years on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York and seven before that on the District Court for the Southern District of New York -- senators should not be held to the president's desire that a confirmation vote take place before their summer vacation in August. The president wants Sotomayor ready for the start of the court's fall term in October.
While averting the comments of conservatives who have attempted to brand Sotomayor as a "racist,'' McConnell, appearing today on CNN's State of the Union with John King, said he cannot patrol what other Republicans have to say about the judge.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) said on State of the Union that Sotomayor's hearings should be respectful and based on her record -- not on labels. Hutchinson, promising to review Sotomayor's record and give her a "fair shot,'' is considering a run for governor of Texas, with a large Latino population.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will hold the confirmation hearings, said today that he would prefer that fellow Republicans stop attacking the judge over remarks she made about her perspective as a child of Puerto Ricans when she addressed the University of California at Berkeley in 2001.
Sessions, appearing today on NBC News' Meet the Press, said he looks forward to meeting with Sotomayor - who will start making rounds of the Senate on Tuesday - and to hearing her explain her speak of her experiences and her decisions.
Comments
Re: Meet the Press
I felt Sessions came out looking for a confrontation, but took a much more moderate/measured tone once David Gregory played a clip of whacko Rush Limbaugh calling her a bigot, etc. He's becoming GOP kryptonite as much as Cheney and Bush (and not soon enough).
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | May 31, 2009 3:29 PM
Like the Grand Olde Donner Party has any say in the issue.
Posted by: C.Morris | May 31, 2009 7:20 PM
Yeah, because it is JUST GREAT that she has all but admitted to legislating from the bench! That really warms my heart... I know, as human beings, it is nearly imposssible to be truly impartial, but come on! Why are the Liberal judges so anti-constitution? Why do they all want it to be seen as a'living' document that can be altered as they see fit.
Sorry, I love that she is a woman and Hispanic, I think it is great, but I hate that she is not a strict contructionalist! She is just another Liberal, judicial activist and I only hope and pray she does as she is suppossed to and just interprets constitutional law and does not attempt to re-write it as I fear!
Posted by: Doug Bentley | May 31, 2009 8:18 PM
Wow Doug! Do you know something we don't about her? All by herself she will bend the thinking of the other justices with her superpowers and get them to vote her way thus re-writing the constitution to suit her? Is this a new treatment for the next Batman movie?
Posted by: lochnessmonster | June 1, 2009 7:27 AM
Wow Monster -
you are really pretty ignorant as to how the Supreme Court works..
No, she can not use superpowers to influence their minds, that is just stupid, but she will be replacing another Liberal activist. So, as I see it, anytime you have a judicial activist on the bench, America loses... we lose, because we are not getting to 'vote' or to have a say in lawmaking, but are getting laws written from the bench. Anytime another Liberal judge is appointed for life, that is just 1 more degree towards the left that the judicial pendulum swings. So, if you have 3 Liberal judges and 3 strict contructionalists and 1 moderate... anything can happen. You DO realize there are back-room deals that go into judicial decisions right?
Posted by: Doug Bentley | June 1, 2009 9:09 AM