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Sotomayor Reactions
Daily Beast contributors and other writers on both sides of the spectrum weigh in on President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.
Is Sotomayor Getting Palin-ed?
by Elaine Lafferty
Conservatives are about to make the same stupid mistake on Sonia Sotomayor that the left took on Sarah Palin: questioning her intelligence, writes former Ms. magazine chief Elaine Lafferty. MORE >>
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Closing the Case Against Sotomayor
by Scott Horton
Three lines of attack have been outlined against Sonia Sotomayor: The Princeton and Yale Law graduate is dim, a product of affirmative action, and a reverse-racist. The Daily Beast’s Scott Horton debunks each one. MORE >>
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Sotomayor: The Movie
by The Daily Beast
Sonia Sotomayor’s life story is ready-made for Hollywood. Who will play her and the other Supremes? VIEW OUR GALLERY of the dream cast. MORE >>
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The GOP's Suicide Mission
by Mark McKinnon
Memo to my party: Blasting targets like Sonia Sotomayor and Colin Powell is a surefire strategy to guarantee our extinction. MORE >>
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An Affirmative Action Pick
by Dana Goldstein
And there’s nothing wrong with that. MORE >>
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My Inside Tips for Sonia
by Kenneth Duberstein
How can Sotomayor assure her confirmation? Former Reagan Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein, who guided Kennedy, Souter, and Thomas, shares 10 secrets for a smooth trip to the High Court. MORE >>
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A Persistent Pioneer
by Patricia J. Williams
Obama’s powerhouse Supreme Court pick will be confirmed, The Daily Beast’s Patricia J. Williams writes. But that doesn’t mean the battle over Sotomayor’s “bullying” temperament and breadth of experience won’t be bruising. MORE >>
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The GOP's Supreme Problem
by Reihan Salam
Republicans fear that bashing Obama's nominee could set off an ugly reaction with women and Hispanic voters. The Daily Beast's Reihan Salam on how to fight without being offensive. MORE >>
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Empathy Trumps Excellence
by John Yoo
John Yoo—Berkeley Law professor, one-time clerk for Clarence Thomas, former deputy assistant attorney general, American Enterprise Institute visiting scholar, and author of War by Other Means: An Insider's Account of the War on Terro—argues that sterling credentials do not necessarily make an excellent justice. MORE >>
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Only in America
by Irasema Garza
Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination is an immense moment of pride for the Latino community—and a story that would not have been possible in any other country, Irasema Garza writes. MORE >>
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One Tough Judge
by Scott Horton
Sonia Sotomayor built a reputation (and made a lot of enemies) by driving prosecutors nuts, The Daily Beast’s Scott Horton reports. Now, the questions begin about her religion and her mysterious views on abortion. MORE >>
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The Sonia I Know
by Stephen L. Carter
The bestselling author—and her former law-school classmate and editor—on why he's been rooting for her nomination all along. MORE >>
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Obama's Secret High Court Diversion
by Richard Wolffe
The president will reawaken his dormant grassroots network to push Sonia Sotomayor, The Daily Beast’s Richard Wolffe reports—a plan designed to divert attention away from his real summer agenda. MORE >>
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Big Fat Story: 6 Angles on Judging Sonia
by The Daily Beast
Obama’s nominee has been called a judicial activist and had her intelligence questioned. But she has an inspiring personal story and could help Obama and the Democrats reshape the political landscape. Six angles on a historic nomination. MORE >>
The Right Dumps Carrie
Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
What's Joe's Problem?
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
Geithner's Stock Plummeting
Jeff Madrick is a contributor to the New York Review of Books and a former economics columnist for the New York Times. He is editor of Challenge Magazine, visiting professor of humanities at Cooper Union, and senior fellow at the New School's Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. He is the author of Taking America, The End of Affluence (Random House) and The Case for Big Government.
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I love it that Karl Rove, on Fox News (where else?), has already given his reasons against Sotomayer's confirmation; because it is still further proof that he never got the memo that Republicans will NOT be in charge until 2080 as he and all his neocon idiot friends had once thought. Give him credit for pulling off the greatest disgrace ever purpetrated on the American public, but never twice.
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Yes, I do wish more would remember. There really is no such thing as a "permanent majority" in politics. The last time this was being said was in 2004. As we know, this "permanent" majority lasted until 2006, just two years. None-the-less the Republican party has got to take stock of itself in some kind of honest way and the Democrates need to have a little less confidence and more humility about their ability to win elections.
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I just hear Mike Huckabee is against Sotomayer's confirmation, it figures. He doesn't even know her, he couldn't even get her first name right, he called her Maria. I guess he think all Hispanic woman are named Maria. Just goes to show what the Republicans think of Hispanics.
Wow that just goes to prove what a child you are. How long did it take people to say the president's name correctly? Get a brain.
IT WAS A PROUD DAY FOR ALL NYC AND FOR ALL PUERTO RICANS!!!!!THIS IS WHAT THE MAGIC OF HEROES IS ABOUT!!JUST ONE MORE FABULOUS WOMAN SURROUNDING MR.OBAMA!!!!
GET TO KNOW SONIA!!
Pope Obama chooses a 6th catholic for the 9 member Supreme Court
You can't choose your age, race, gender, or sexual orientation but you can choose what religion you are.
These justices made a conscious decision to belong to an organization that systematically abused and raped thousands of children in Ireland.
These justices made a conscious decision to belong to an organization that actively campaigns to take away other people's rights.
These justices made a conscious decision to belong to an organization whose leader said (AIDS) "is a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, and that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems".
These justices made a conscious decision to belong to an organization that consistently interferes with governments around the world, especially in the United States by telling it's followers "that Communion must be denied to Catholic politicians who support legal abortion." (in effect telling their followers who to vote for).
These justices made a conscious decision to belong to an organization that is headed by a former member of the Luftwaffe AA battery of the Hitler Youth Corps.
Granted one member of a church is not responsible for the actions of the other members but what they are responsible for is giving legitimacy and money to an organization that not only committed the above actions but then covered them up (in some cases for decades).
It is this lack of responsibility and the acceptance of the illegal actions of their own church that makes this such a troubling issue.
And it speaks volumes to what these justices view the role of the church to be and how much they are willing to over look criminal actions in the quest for their own personal jesus.
I wouldn't have worded it as harshly, sonofloud, but I'm right there with you. I don't know enough about Sotomayer, other than her resume and her race/gender/religion, to comment on her as an individual. But I think the Catholics and Christians, not to mention the Jews and even Muslims, have been pandered to enough by our political establishment in the past few years. I'm over it. All I got was an aside in an Obama speech - wow, nonbelievers are real Americans? Gee, thanks, why don't you just keep spending my tax dollars on your retarded Holy War that ignores the actual perpetrators of 9/11, and maybe some "faith-based initiatives." Great.
We agnostics and atheists, along with religious folks who want a secular government, we need to organize the way that Hispanics, Blacks, Born Again Christians, Jews, Muslims, and other special interest groups have done. And fast. Look at how scared the Republicans are of opposing Sotomayer - why, because of her? Pfft, no. Because of Obama? Pffft, no. They're trembling like kittens at a dog show because the Latino voting block will destroy them. Democracy apparently boils down to fear of organized voting blocks.
So that's what we have to become. Yeah, let another person who believes in talking snakes and magical apples onto the Supreme Court. Too late now. Catholics are about 25% of Americans - but just agnostics and atheists are now up to 12%! That's not including our allies who believe in a higher power, but don't think their holy books should influence public policy. I even know pastors who want a secular government.
And if we work together, we can get secularists elected, we can get agnostics and atheists elected, and maybe someday, we can have a justice on the Supreme Court who doesn't worship a God that says gays and shrimp cocktails are "sins." It will take time and hard work, but we can do it. Organize!!!
Did I miss that day at school? Wasn't there something about separation of church and state? We will not have true freedom of religion until we get it out of our politics and policies.
Kudos to the Daily Beast for respecting the freedom of thought more than the New York Times.
I tried to send my above comment to the NY Times twice (even a water downed version) and they not only refuse to publish it but they refuse to give a reason why.
I commend The Daily Beast for respecting people's right to say what they think.
John Yoo is giving his 2 cents worth?. You must be joking?. This coward help define the US as a country that tortures, he should be serving a jail sentence not giving advice regarding the Supreme court.
Mr Salam thought Sarah ( I can see Russia from my door step ) Plain was a bright and talented woman. Mrs Sotomayor was @ the top of her class @ Yale and Princton, Plain went to 5 community colleges, so I suppose Mrs Sototmayor is already a non starter, she's to smart.
The conservatives dont like her becuase she had to pull herself up by her "Boot straps", was accpeted to Princton on her brains not who she is ( GW Bush, daddy got him into Yale, C- student I might add ). So I suppose that makes here to self aware, she may actually think for herself and come to conclusions based on some human element, that will really piss off the right.
Make no mistake, she will be confirmed. She was 1st appointed by the 1st George Bush and then Clinton. She has Republican appointed judges quoted as saying she would be a brilliant choice.
Obama most certainly will have another chance @ filling yet another seat, this will make the wingnuts even more crazy.
What a sweet, tolerant person you are muddog.
What is is "Intolerant"?......
Please disprove anything I said!.
So Rove, Huckabee, Limbaugh and the Heritage Foundation oppose her? That's all I need to be sure she'll be a great justice.
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Well, he claimed a heritage that was not Hispanic as we consider it today wouldn't you say. And if you do consider that he was Hispanic then he sure was just a flash in the pan way back then.
He was English, as his family were thrown out of 16th-century Spain as a result of the inquisition. His ancestors arrived in Colonial America.
My prediction? She's going to be a trouble maker. Maybe that's what the Supreme Court needs. All's I know is, after have lived many years in the Bronx and Brooklyn, Spanish women are a force to be reckoned with. And that swings both ways.
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.
As a white male myself, I would prefer to stand in front of a judge that has had to live through more than a country club up bringing. To "Judge" others by some one that has lived through diversity, challenges, female, latino, daughter of imigrant's etc gives me far more "Confidence" in her ability to see a broader perspective and to pull form her experinces than some old crusty white conservative.
Sotomayor will be the first avowedly racist justice in more than a century.
Muddog, when you're in front of a judge like Sotomayor, I hope your opponent in the lawsuit is a Latina immigrant. Suddenly the virtues of "blind justice" -- that conception originated by "evil" white males, and despised by people like Sotomayor -- will become apparent to you.
Romeo-
Huge huge
Presumptions
Don't make a fact.
And define
'Avowedly racist'.
I'm afraid I have you at a disadvantage, Ritarita, as I have already read Justice Sotomayor's full remarks printed in the La Raza(!) Law Journal. You can read them here: http://www.amptoons.com/blog/archives/2009/05/26/judge-sotomayors-speech-on -being-a-latina-on-the-bench/
Also her recent action to deny justice to white (and one Hispanic) firefighters in the New Haven, Conn., case is the mark of unmistakeable racism. Imagine if the plaintiffs in that case had NOT been white men -- she says in that case that the "Latina" in her would have produced a different result.
So, familiarize yourself with Sotomayor and then you can come back and defend her. (Note that as a believer in equality, I will treat Sotomayor the way she says she would treat me.)
RomeoHotel, I think you misunderstand the basis of her New Haven decision. It's very narrowly based on the present state of civil rights law. If she had ruled for the firemen, she would have been (horrors!) an activist. I think hypocrisy is what selective application of standards ,ight be called/
How is it affirmative action if latina women are a huge part of the population? Same boring drivel.
muddog said,
"Please disprove anything I said!"
Time doesn't permit a full exposure of the falsehoods, but here are a few:
1. Sotomayor did NOT "graduate at the top of her class at Yale". Not even close.
2. Palin did NOT "attend five community colleges". Among other universities, she attended the University of Hawaii before eventually graduating from the University of Idaho.
3. Palin did NOT say "I can see Alaska from my front door". That's one of the many, many lies told about Palin. You're in ample company on that one.
4. We don't know if "Sotomayor got into Princeton on her smarts". Do you want to see her SAT scores so that you can say this with a straight face? I would like to see them.
1. summa cum laud usually means the top 3% of a class;-)
2. I thought this was always a stupid statement. The U of Idaho is a fine school.
3. Tina Fey said this. It may be the most memorable "statement" from Palin as history progresses;-)
4. She was valedictorian of a Catholic high school. This usually was better than NYC schools in general. SAT scores are not a great predictor of academic excellence.
McKinnon has it right. In any case, each among us has got to quit using him- or herself as a measuring stick when considering people such Sotomayor. Our particular individual opinions on gays, abortion, religion, etc. are not the point here. We just have to put our trust in a smart, capable, experienced person who has a better grasp of the big picture.
I want to know how Salam can be in the GOP. Did you not watch the 8 months of Muslim bashing? This is of course assuming you are Muslim, which may be a rude generalization. My apologies. But you are still brown, and the Republicans hate that too. So come over to the big tent party. There's plenty of room and you don't have to shun science!
A favorite Feminist web site of mine (Femisex.com) correctly predicted that Obama would nominate Sotomayor. Why, b/c she would be a Kennedy-like abortion supporter ("maybe yes, maybe no") and a sure thing for affirmative action.
" The cincher for Obama will be....
Judge Sotomayor's ruling against white firemen in New Haven, Connecticut."
Femisex has it right: any and all Obama picks will be very pro affirmative action for minorities (remember women are a majority) and they will have questionable records on pro-choice issues. Obama has reparations in mind for all his SC picks.
Very snarky;-) There is no proof that she is pro-choice as her only decision on the matter upheld the Bushban on disseminating birth control info abroad using American funds. I doubt President Obama has any agenda in mind other than re-balancing SCOTUS from its right-wing tilt thanks to the mindless reign of Reagan and the two Bushes in the White House.
PALIN.
1) after graduating from high school in 1982, she enrolled at Hawaii Pacific College in Honolulu.
2) She left Hawaii Paific College after one semester and transferred to North Idaho College, a community college in Coeur d'Alene, where she spent two semesters as a general studies major in 1983. In 1984.
3) In August 1984, she transferred to the University of Idaho in Moscow, where her older brother, Charles W. Heath, was majoring in education.
4) After two semesters at UI, Palin returned to Alaska and attended Matanuska-Susitna College, a community college in Palmer, for one term in the fall of 1985.
5) She returned to the University of Idaho in January 1986, where she spent three semesters completing her bachelor's degree in communications-journalism, graduating in May 1987.
I COUNT 5!. Check your facts before you lecture others. You could even find this on Wiki for gods sake...
Sotamayor has more intellegence in her little picky than Palin has in her entire gene pool.
Thank you.
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