Sonia Sotomayor confirmed by Senate: First Latina on the U.S. Supreme Court

Little by little the domination of the white male over this country is being eroded. Their screaming gets louder and louder as they feel the tide of history turning against the overprivledge suprmacy that they have had for far too long.

Please correct the factual error in the second graph. Sonia Sotomayor is NOT the first hispanic to sit on the High Court. She is the second. Benjamin Cardozo was the first and served as an associate justice on the Supreme Court from 1932 until his deah. While Sotomayor IS the first Latina, she's the second hispanic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_N._Cardozo

In addition to being a racist and a bigot, little man Jeff Sessions (R-AL) is the most corrupt and immoral Senator in the U.S. Senate. 'Bug eyes' McConnell (R-KY) is right behind him.
And who can honestly think that Justices Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and Alito are even close to being impartial.

Obama = yet another victory, #2 this week!!!!!!

Michelle Malkin's book Obama: Culture of Corruption will debut at number 1 on the NYT best seller list on Aug. 16? Now that's 3 anti zero books in the top 5 at the same time.

Jeff, this is taken directly from the Wiki entry to wich you link, and it would suggest that no clarificaiton or correction is needed.

Both the National Association of Latino Elected Officials and the Hispanic National Bar Association consider Sonia Sotomayor to be the first unequivocally Hispanic justice.

The rebulicscum have just sealed their coffin.....and I for one am very happy. This women is more that qualified for this post. Obama is the best

Our country is no longer the 'United' States. There are more splits than ever. How many minorities are now out there proclaiming their 'rights'? See what freedom of speech leads to. Confusing as hell to me.

r.m.k. akron

It is a good day for America.

It is a good day for America.

A major win for Obama and a big blow to the Republican's clearly fake efforts at bipartisanship. To give a similarly non-controversial and well qualified court nominee less support that Dems gave John Roberts in 05 is shameful.

http://www.political-buzz.com/

Justice Cardozo was a Portuguese Jew. I dont think falls under the definition of Hispanic or Latino.

The rebuliscums have lost another vote because the of the people. Not the people that think that god has chosen them to be rich and the rest of you should be our slaves. I am looking forward to the end of the following people

1. russssshhhhh
2. newty
3.shawn...u r a great american
4. Palin
5. all the rest of you fools that back raygun....killing the middle class

As a strong Puerto Rican woman, I am applaud that she got this job base on her race.

@Jeff: Being Portuguese does not make one Hispanic. Portugal is in Europe, not Latin America. Cardozo was Jewish and European, but not Hispanic.

Let the activism begin.

@Jeff

The article you cite even questions Cardozo's ethnicity. He was widely considered to be Iberian Jewish, not Hispanic. Spanish and Portuguese ancestry is not considered 'Hispanic.' Sotomayor is the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice on that technicality.

An interesting omission is that there are now 6 Catholics on the 9-member Supreme Court. And Justice Sotomayor, raised in a traditional Catholic family, was silent about her views on abortion. Could this turn out to be a Trojan Horse for Obama and the pro-abortion Democrats?

To the first commentator (Non-White), just who founded the industries that made this country great? Who legislated and passed laws that made the preferential treatment of minorities a priority? And now you are so quick to rewrite history. At least learn how to spell.

Jeff,
Cardozo was of Portuguese decent. Check out his wiki page. Technically, he is not hispanic as hispanics, by definitiion, share the common language of Spanish. Portuguese people speak Portuguese. This is why Brazilians, who also speak Portuguese, are not considered hispanic. No correction necessary.

K

Nooooooooooooooooo.....we are all gonnnnaaaa dieeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Little by little the domination of the white male over this country is being eroded. Their screaming gets louder and louder as they feel the tide of history turning against the overprivledge suprmacy that they have had for far too long.

Posted by: Non-white | August 6, 2009 3:26 PM

Non- white... what a load of bigoted nonsense. Given your fixation on race and skin color my guess is that you would also reject all of that judge me by the content of my character not the color of my skin nonsense as well? After all - white males are defective in their need for supremacy and dominance right?

Get over your small minded self...

Racist rants are only ok if the come from people like "non-white". There are plenty of non-whites that have been on welfare for far too long...wish the tides of history would turn on that one. I won't hold my breath.

Jeff,

Try reading your own link. It's debatable if Cardozo would have been considered Hispanic.

jeff: >

Incorrect. Benjamin Cardozo was of Portugese descent and is thus not considered Hispanic.

(Hispanic = "Related to or derived from the people or culture of Spain", Websters).

Non-white: It must be difficult going through life with so many vast disadvantages that you have to blame the "white male" for all of your problems. However, I feel no pity for people like you who cast blame on others for their own problems. May God have mercy on your soul.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_N._Cardozo

Posted by: Jeff | August 6, 2009 3:38 PM

Ok Jeff, um, what part of his jewish and Portugese heritage did you confuse with being hispanic?????

He's not hispanic Jeff. Portuguese is generally not considered so. Sure it's debatable, though.

Congratulations, Judge Sotomayor. May your term be long and judicious !! America is moving in the direction our Founding Ancestors hoped we would. What a proud day for America and for the Democratic Party, the Party of Inclusion !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

For years the GOP appointed intellectually deficient, right wing garbage like Scalia and Alioto to the Court, and that court ended a legal recount to inflict an immoral, arrogant idiot named George W. Bush on us as President in 2000. Now the Democrats choose a lady that is intellectually superior, and who'se legal opinions have nearly all been intellectually strong and mainstream. The result, Limbaugh, Coulter, and all the GOP garbage screams bloody murder.

Yes, moral Republicans that believe in fair play do exist - but there sure aren't very many, and they are far less than in the other parties (other than the Communists).

Ah, another racist in office. Now hispanics realize that there is a greater chance of getting cases to the inferior court, and getting favorable verdicts.
As I have said, racism is alive and well in America, just not the kind jessie, al and brarrack want you to believe.

A very sad day for the unborn, and all of their future deaths by abortion, aka murder, thanks to Obama and this appointment.

Posted by: heartburn | August 6, 2009 4:45 PM

I never said that white males were inferior. I said that have been overprivledged, and had effective supremacy in this country. Look at the make up of the court, the Congress and corporate board rooms, and tell me that the white male haven't held, and continue to hold, an outsized share of the power in this nation. This is simple historical fact. The cries of injustice from you and your fellow posters just prove my original point.You don't want that to change. You don't want the white male to lose any portion of that outsized power. Well, you can't stop that from happening, as much as you try and as much as you scream. Real equality is coming. The days of white male supemacy are numbered. Get used to it.

It just goes to show that if you've got a radical record and a Democratic Senate going for you, even an astronomical reversal rate like Sotomeyer's can't keep you off the Court.

Hey DUFACE (Jeff) Benjamin Cardozo was a Jewish gentleman whose family roots are in portugal which is a EUROPEAN country in the Iberian Peninsula. In order to be considered Hispanic, you have to have blood ties to someone in the Americas with European (Mainly Spanish) and Native blood. This is a FACT. If you want to sound smart...you have to BE smart.

Congratulations to Associate Justice Sotomayor!
-Sotomayor will be the first Hispanic and third woman to join the Court.

And Congratulations to Pres Obama for picking a very well qualified Latina - well done!

Get Lost to - racist Republican Congressmen and their angry old white guy mouthpieces like Druggy Rush, Seany Hannity, Glenn ButtHead, Pat Buchanan and Lou Dobbs etc.
.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/08/06/2009-08-06_bronxs_own_sonia_sotomayor_becomes_first_hispanic_justice_on_supreme_court_after.html

Regardless of political affiliation, it is an embarrassment to vote along party lines for such an important position. It just so happens that the senate got this one right (confirming an obviously qualified and respectful nominee who just happens to be making history), but the divisiveness is unnecessary and disgusting.

The very same angry old rich white guys who run the GOP, the one's who have been cultivating their followers to follow their base instincts such as race baiting xenophobia, war mongering, promoting enhanced interrogation techniques, and giving the wealthy continuous socialistic support, now want us to believe that Sotomayor is a racist against white guys? Ha Ha Ha!
.
http://www.truthout.org/060109J

I want the GOPer base to lap it all up with their hatred of minorities here. The GOP leadership playing to the toothless rednecks who make up what's left of the GOPer base will only alienate swing voters and pound a few more nails into the GOP's furture electoral prospects. And the race bailting from GOP Congressmen is only going to rebound to the GOP's detriment.

Who cares about Michelle Malkin. It's her, Rush and the Fox Network worshippers who are Conservatives first, Americans second. Could you imagine if there were another terrorist attack on the scale of 9/11. Do you think Republicans would support Obama the way Democrats supported Bush?

My oh my, but the rich old white guys are getting angry these days. It looks like they're going to have to work a little harder to screw everyone else over.

Posted by: heartburn | August 6, 2009 4:45 PM

I never said that white males were inferior. I said that have been overprivledged, and had effective supremacy in this country. Look at the make up of the court, the Congress and corporate board rooms, and tell me that the white male haven't held, and continue to hold, an outsized share of the power in this nation. This is simple historical fact. The cries of injustice from you and your fellow posters just prove my original point.You don't want that to change. You don't want the white male to lose any portion of that outsized power. Well, you can't stop that from happening, as much as you try and as much as you scream. Real equality is coming. The days of white male supemacy are numbered. Get used to it.

Posted by: non-white | August 6, 2009 5:13 PM

You imply that there has been "domination" and "supremacy" of society and courts by "white" males for no other reason than the fact that they are white... So why refer to the skin color at all unless you see it as an issue- who are you blaming for the injustice you see when you say ( your words) " I said that have been overprivledged, and had effective supremacy in this country." - ?

-
BTW -I am not worried about your oddly aggressive comment " The days of white male supemacy are numbered." Way more people reject this nonsense than not-

My worry is how (given your black vs white view of the world) you, and people that think like you have been able to intimidate debate to the point that nominating a supreme court justice becomes first an exercise in group and identity politics instead of picking a qualified candidate.

The Republican party in burning up in a fire that they set themselves. While trying to broaden their base over the last 25 years by playing up to the extreme right, racists, religious fanatics, war mongers, hate mongers, gay haters, immigrant haters and stupid folk of all walks they got more than they bargained for. These groups have taken over the party. and brought it into the minority. Their 31 votes is equal to whats left of their party 31%. Tell me I'm wrong !
Congratulations Sonia Sotomayor to a very select group of Americans. I know you will represent us well.

Little by little idea that the white really does domination over others in this country is being eroded. The fact is that white men do not need social justice collective bs crap to live. It is those who believe that the govt need to provide for them that are falling. The liberty of a truely free man will win at the end of the day.

Fairness Will Fail

Holy cow (sorry Harry)! Do you people think she'll use voodoo or something and make all the other judges rule the way she wants on all the cases that come before them? There are NINE judges for Pete's sake! Would you all grow up and act like adults? I'd like to thank the Republican Senators who did act like adults and voted for this very qualified nominee. They voted for ALL the American people, not just their closed minded vote-the-party-line-only scared of someone different than me little Republicans.

"Ah, another racist in office. Now hispanics realize that there is a greater chance of getting cases to the inferior court...As I have said, racism is alive and well in America."

Don't try to pin racism on the Hispanics, Karl. It wasn't them who posted "Whites Only" signs all over the South during the 50s and 60s. And it wasn't them who barred people from public facilities for decades based solely on race. Come to think of it, Hispanics didn't form the Ku Klux Klan to terrorize Blacks. So, if you think racism is "alive and well in America," look no further than your mirror to figure out why.

Congratulations!!

"You imply that there has been "domination" and "supremacy" of society and courts by "white" males for no other reason than the fact that they are white..."

I don't imply it. I state it as historical fact. The history of racism and sexism in this country is undeniable. Are you seriously suggesting that the fact that only 3 women have ever been on the Supreme Court is not related to sexism? Are you seriously suggesting the fact that only 3 people of color have ever been on the Supreme Court isn't related to racism? Are you really attempting to say that the over representation of white males in the Congress and in the board room has no basis in racism and sexism?

White males are a minority, yet they hold the majority of powerful positions in our society. Selecting a nominee for the Supreme Court has been an exercise in group and identity politics since the founding of this nation, with one group and one identity prevailing in all but 5 cases: the white male. Ending that pattern of sexism and racism is not the beginning of group and identity politics, it is the beginning of the ending of group and identity politics. An end that clearly threatens you.

race and skin color my guess is that you would also reject all of that judge me by the content of my character not the color of my skin nonsense as well? After all - white males are defective in their need for supremacy and dominance right? Get over your small minded self...

Posted by: heartburn | August 6, 2009 4:45 PM
********************************************
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also heartburn:

I'm an angry old white guy who can't understand why Rush Limbaugh isn't President instead of that black guy!!! Everyone loves Druggy Rush, just ask him!

Get lost, PrePuke..

Correction,
As a strong Puerto Rican woman, I am appalled that she got this job base on her race.

I'm guessing it won't be long before the Wingnuts start demanding to see Sonia Sotomayor's birth certificate.

i do believe that they made a mistake, because she has her own ideas and will use them in all cases

The question whether Hispanic includes Portuguese and Brazilians has been debated in many forums.

According to the Spanish dictionary, and the explanations from people who have studied the Iberian cultures, a) the adjective refers to people from Latin American countries which were colonized by European countries of Latin Origin (Portugal and Spain). b) related to Hispania, name with which the Iberian peninsula (Portugal and Spain) was known during Roman times. c) related to people who live in the US of Latin American origin.

So, technically, Cardozo was Hispanic, though he is not considered as the first Hispanic in the supreme court, Sotomayor is.

Not sure why Wikipedia is suddenly what people quote as the source of truth.

After all, almost any one can edit Wikipedia posts without any requirements other than being able to type?

do believe that they made a mistake, because she has her own ideas and will use them in all cases

Posted by: Monarie | August 6, 2009 8:30 PM

*********************************************
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Yeah, any judge that doesn't buy into the right-wing luntic fringe version of the law, hook, line and sinker, is an ACTIVIST!!!

Yee Haw Maw, I'm a gonna cook me sum grits! But first I'm a gonna shoot me a squirrel so's we all can do sum meat eatin' too!

As an old civil right activitists the nomination brings tears to my 70 year old white male eyes.

As an old civil right activitists the nomination brings tears to my 70 year old white male eyes.

As an old civil right activitists the nomination brings tears to my 70 year old white male eyes.

Such great hatred from the party of incluuuuuuuusion on this board. Nice to see it.

- A Wise Euro-American Male

The Republicans that opposed Sotomayor's nomination did so based on legitimate concerns of her interpretation of the Constitution and had nothing to do with her being a Hispanic. They judged her based on her merits. What does bother me is how Democrats are turning those concerns that Republicans have expressed into politics by telling Americans, especially Hispanics, that they can expect a backlash from Hispanics. This is nothing more than a threat to drive Hispanics over to the Democratic party. This tells me that Democrats are using this nomination to their advantage in an attempt to please Hispanics and win their vote.

Another person gets a job based on race instead of being qualified to do the job. Pathetic!

John Faber lies -probably again.

No astronomical rate for reversals - actually a higher than usual rate of non-reversals and challenges to her decisions not even making it to the Supreme Court. I'm getting a bit tired of the rightwingfundernuts continual resorting to lies because the truth doesn't support their extremist ideology

To: Objective Informed Person: If it is, as you say, an embarrassment to vote along party lines for such an important position, there must be an awful lot of embarrassed Democrats on this one, eh?

To: JLE, who said, "My oh my, but the rich old white guys are getting angry these days. It looks like they're going to have to work a little harder to screw everyone else over."

Would that be rich old white guys like Ted Kennedy, or John Kerry?

Little by little the domination of the white male over this country is being eroded. Their screaming gets louder and louder as they feel the tide of history turning against the overprivledge suprmacy that they have had for far too long.

Posted by: Non-white | August 6, 2009 3:26 PM

Hey, dummy- who do you think it was that voted to confirm her?

The issue is whether she will be willing and able to capably and fairly make the judgments required of an Associate Justice.

She has years of experience in making such judgments and hundreds of examples from cases that demonstrate that she can perform this job superbly. The few exceptions of cases mentioned by critics do not challenge that she supports precedent and do not suggest that she makes her own law.

She is not being hired as a speech giver, but as a judge. We have enough speech givers in DC already! It is a great day for the country and I wish her the best.

I cannot see why every time someone with a contrary opinion on an issue surrounding President Obama is criticized as being a "right wing crazy." I am an educated man who just happens to disagree with the President on numerous issues. The last time I checked the Supreme Court had not removed my 1st Amendment right to free speech. If you feel that her appointment is good, fine. However, I choose to disagree as is my right. I have always found it quite curious how the left manages to judge dissent from conservatives as “hate speech” but finds vile remarks about conservatives within the bounds of “free speech.” Enjoy this triumphant moment for they will be short lived once America wakes up to the harm this President in doing to this country.

Hey, dummy- who do you think it was that voted to confirm her?

Posted by: Disgusted | August 7, 2009 5:36 AM

Some white males did vote for her, which is great. However I also know that nearly every vote against her was from a white male.

Tony,
If you are such an educated and open minded person, why don't you enlighten us about the harm the last administration brought upon this coutry over the last 8 years?? You live in a little world.

It is no longer your record, your education or experience, it is your race. It is no longer the MOST qualified for any position, but race.
It has nothing to do with the "domination of the white male". If the MOST qualified person is white, than that is the person that should go. The same applies for any race. If that person is the MOST qualified, than they sould get the post.

But we have a President who got most of his votes "SOLEY" based on his race., not because voters truely weighed the options. There were thousands of people stating as much on TV interviews. Now we have a judge to the most important court in our nation that is there because she is hispanic, nothing more.

Posted by: Non-white | August 6, 2009 6:07 PM

You keep arguing with yourself...
So your remedy is to continue to nominate, promote and support people solely because of their skin color...thats progressive?
--
As to your saying I am threatened...

The only thing that threatens me is having stupid narrow-minded thought process like yours be taken as legitimate. If you were to substitute black or brown for white in any of the posts here ( including yours) they would likely be blocked because of the racist content. Instead- bigoted views like yours are allowed to pass... that is a threat. Good thing is your ideas are small - so once again, get over yourself.

I'm a little worried about this appointement. Being Cuban myself, I applaud them for finally appointing a Hispanic, as that was long overdue. I feel though that there were better options out there.

Sotamayor's financial irresponsibility troubles me. She does not live within her means, and this usually reflects irresponsibility in other aspects of her life. I wish her well, but I find that aspect extremely troubling.

Check out my blog about her personal finances at http://www.thedebtgazette.com/2009/08/justice-sonia-sotamayor-financial-irresponsiblity/

But heartburn, the Constitution was written by the white males; they thought that meant they would always be in charge of everything. Things start evening up just a little bit and they can't handle it. Oh wait, I'm a white male myself; where's my white guy entitlement?

heartburn, it's obvious that you fully believe that no one beside a white male could possibly be the most qualified for anything. Sotomayor is, in fact, a highly qualified judge with 17 years on the Federal Bench. Yet because she is a minority you claim that she isn't the most qualified, and that she could only be nominated because of her gender andd ethnicity. A latina judge? It must be affirmative action, right heartburn? Being a hispanic means your 17 years on the Federal bench doesn't really count like it would for a real judge(i.e.white male judge). The only way you would have said that Obama's pick wasn't about race or gender would be if he picked yet another white male, that is qquite clear nby the way you ignore the facts of Justice Sotomayor's long experinece and qualifications. Yes, you want the world to be color blind, and gender neutral, as long as it is a steady stream of white males being appointed, and no one else, like it has been for the past 240 years.

You've done an admirable job of providing a clear example of the panic that the loss of white male supremacy is causing in a sector of the white male populous. Thanks for that. Don't worry, some day you'll get used to being just like everyone else, without first claim on positions of power and privledge.

Posted by: Non-white | August 7, 2009 1:12 PM

Where do I say that being Latina excludes Sotomayor from being qualified for SCOTUS?

Unlike yourself-and I fear our President... most people do not views all issues based on race and skin color--

You are one angry little person-you should loosen up and enjoy life a little more. I would suggest some diversity training where you actually could experience the daily life of those big bad white males that seem to have you all twisted up maybe this would help you get some perspective? you would probably find it remarkably close to yours - minus the bigotry.

But heartburn, the Constitution was written by the white males; they thought that meant they would always be in charge of everything. Things start evening up just a little bit and they can't handle it. Oh wait, I'm a white male myself; where's my white guy entitlement?

Posted by: rupert | August 7, 2009 12:51 PM

What a non-sensical argument... are you actually suggesting that the founders wrote the constitution for white males only?
Can you find anything in the constitution written by "the white males" that gives whites some built in advantage over another race? In fact- without the constitutional groundwork written by the founders- you could make an argument that slavery would have been abolished years later than 1865, if at all.

Actually heartburn I was trying to mimic Pat Buchanan (who also incorrectly claimed that only white men died at Gettysburg and Vicksburg). I'm amused by the "aggrieved white male" syndrome poppinig up around having a black President and latina Supreme Court Justice.

Posted by: heartburn | August 7, 2009 4:49 PM

Try opening your eyes and seeing the facts of the world around you. Try to see the advantages that the long history of racism and sexism in this country have left the white male. Look at the make up of the courts, the Congress, and corporate board rooms and tell me again about white males have it just the same as everyone else. Of course, you aren't angry when you see those things. Most of the people in those places are just like you: white and male, and you think that is just the natural order of things. You get angry when Non white males start taking their rightful places in those areas. Then you get very angry, don't you?

As to the US Constitution, did the Constitution ever say that white males counted as only 3/5 of a human being? Did the Constitution ever have to be amended to give white males full citizenship? Yes you could make the argument that the Conmstitution brought about the abolition of slavery sooner, however to make that argument you have to ignore the facts of history, something you have proven your skill at. The US was, in fact one of the LAST countries to abolish slavery, not one of the first, thanks to the protection afforded slavery under the Constitution. Secondly the death blows to slavery in the US came not through the mechanisms of the Constitution, but through Civil War and a Presidential Executive decree.