President Obama’s choice of Sonia Sotomayor as Supreme Court nominee has roused ideologues and generated politically-charged rhetoric since the May 28 announcement. Meanwhile pundits have continued to lay out their case in the lead up to Congressional confirmation hearings.
Much of the debate was sparked by an excerpt from a 2001 speech Ms. Sotomayor gave to a Berkeley college symposium of the pro-Latino group La Raza (The Race), in which she stated “…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.”
“She [Sotomayor] seems to have affirmed what’s called ‘identity politics’,” said conservative columnist George Will on ABC’s This Week. Mr. Will defined the term as “that an American is—or should be—thought of as his or her race, ethnicity, sex, sexual preference; that that should define their political identity.”
Mr. Will concluded that identity politics was of “no relevance to the court,” as the Supreme Court was not a “representative institution,” adding the question of whether a judge has a “judicial obligation” to keep such experiences “in the background.”
“I guess I see it differently..,” said Gwen Ifill, PBS political analyst and author of “The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama,” also on This Week. She generalized that black elected officials interviewed for her book defined ‘identity politics’ as “being part of what you are and not all of what you are.
“And I think that’s what the defenders of Sonia Sotomayor are trying to say … what she is and what we all are shapes us. But it’s not all that shapes you.”
“It is troubling, and it’s inappropriate, and I hope she’ll apologize,” said Senator Lindsey Graham (R), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Fox News Sunday. “If I had said something like that, or someone with my background and profile, we wouldn’t be talking about this nomination going forward.”
Committee member Senator Arlen Spector (D) suggested that the nominee’s 2001 comment needed to be looked at in context, and added that Ms. Sotomayor’s judiciary record speaks for itsef.
“I believe that it’s fair to ask her about the question,” said Sen. Spector. “But she has a long solid record to show that she’s fair and not biased.”
Senator Jeff Sessions (R), ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, agrees. “Oh, she’s got the kind of background you would look for, almost an ideal mix of private practice, prosecution, trial judge and circuit judge,” the senator said on MSNBC’s Meet the Press. “That’s very strong in her favor.”
As for Ms. Sotomayor’s controversial comment, Mr. Sessions concluded: “She’s capable. She needs to have the opportunity to explain this.”
Mr. Limbaugh spoke of reaction to his comments during Monday’s broadcast.
“Nobody’s denying what she said,” Mr. Limbaugh stated. “That’s what you need to keep in mind. She would bring a form of racism and bigotry to the United States Supreme Court. “
Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary defines “racism” as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.”
Like Senator Graham, Mr. Limbaugh also commented on an apparent double-standard being applied by media and Democratic supporters of the nominee, saying “nobody is denying the fact that if a white guy had said the equivalent of what Sonia Sotomayor said, he'd be finished.”
Senator Patrick Leahy (D), also speaking on Meet the Press, called the racist rhetoric “baloney,” adding that despite the controversy, as a Supreme Court Justice Ms. Sotomayor would follow the law.
“Of course she is,” Senator Leahy said. “And as Senator Session says, she’s going to have—she‘ll be questioned about that, and that’s fair. She should be questioned about it. And we’ll give her a chance very soon to do that.”
Informal, private meetings between Judiciary Committee members and Sonia Sotomayor start Tuesday, with official confirmation hearings scheduled to begin later this summer.
Much of the debate was sparked by an excerpt from a 2001 speech Ms. Sotomayor gave to a Berkeley college symposium of the pro-Latino group La Raza (The Race), in which she stated “…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.”
“She [Sotomayor] seems to have affirmed what’s called ‘identity politics’,” said conservative columnist George Will on ABC’s This Week. Mr. Will defined the term as “that an American is—or should be—thought of as his or her race, ethnicity, sex, sexual preference; that that should define their political identity.”
Mr. Will concluded that identity politics was of “no relevance to the court,” as the Supreme Court was not a “representative institution,” adding the question of whether a judge has a “judicial obligation” to keep such experiences “in the background.”
“I guess I see it differently..,” said Gwen Ifill, PBS political analyst and author of “The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama,” also on This Week. She generalized that black elected officials interviewed for her book defined ‘identity politics’ as “being part of what you are and not all of what you are.
“And I think that’s what the defenders of Sonia Sotomayor are trying to say … what she is and what we all are shapes us. But it’s not all that shapes you.”
“It is troubling, and it’s inappropriate, and I hope she’ll apologize,” said Senator Lindsey Graham (R), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Fox News Sunday. “If I had said something like that, or someone with my background and profile, we wouldn’t be talking about this nomination going forward.”
Committee member Senator Arlen Spector (D) suggested that the nominee’s 2001 comment needed to be looked at in context, and added that Ms. Sotomayor’s judiciary record speaks for itsef.
“I believe that it’s fair to ask her about the question,” said Sen. Spector. “But she has a long solid record to show that she’s fair and not biased.”
Senator Jeff Sessions (R), ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, agrees. “Oh, she’s got the kind of background you would look for, almost an ideal mix of private practice, prosecution, trial judge and circuit judge,” the senator said on MSNBC’s Meet the Press. “That’s very strong in her favor.”
As for Ms. Sotomayor’s controversial comment, Mr. Sessions concluded: “She’s capable. She needs to have the opportunity to explain this.”
‘Racist’ Controversy
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh created controversy and a strong reaction from supporters of the nominee when he called Ms. Sotomayor a “racist” and “bigot” on his radio show last week.Mr. Limbaugh spoke of reaction to his comments during Monday’s broadcast.
“Nobody’s denying what she said,” Mr. Limbaugh stated. “That’s what you need to keep in mind. She would bring a form of racism and bigotry to the United States Supreme Court. “
Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary defines “racism” as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.”
Like Senator Graham, Mr. Limbaugh also commented on an apparent double-standard being applied by media and Democratic supporters of the nominee, saying “nobody is denying the fact that if a white guy had said the equivalent of what Sonia Sotomayor said, he'd be finished.”
Senator Patrick Leahy (D), also speaking on Meet the Press, called the racist rhetoric “baloney,” adding that despite the controversy, as a Supreme Court Justice Ms. Sotomayor would follow the law.
“Of course she is,” Senator Leahy said. “And as Senator Session says, she’s going to have—she‘ll be questioned about that, and that’s fair. She should be questioned about it. And we’ll give her a chance very soon to do that.”
Informal, private meetings between Judiciary Committee members and Sonia Sotomayor start Tuesday, with official confirmation hearings scheduled to begin later this summer.
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