Sonia Sotomayor's Stroll to the Supremes

[nattyreb]

**!!Please note that the word ''libural' in the 6th paragraph is not a typo; it's how Mumia wrote it to emphasize the dialect.
thx! fatirah

Sonia Sotomayor's Stroll to the Supremes
[col. writ. 7/15/09 (c) '09 Mumia Abu-Jamal


It was a foregone conclusion.

When federal appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor was nominated to fill the seat of retired U.S. Supreme Court associate justice, David Souter, the die was cast.

While there are few certainties in life, this was an easy call.

Relatively young (for a judge), well-experienced, a Puerto Rican woman, known as a formidable intellect, the confirmation of Sotomayor was basically a numbers game. Over 50 votes were all but guaranteed for the new president's first high court pick. In Supreme Court confirmation votes, 51 insures placement; anything above that is mere surplus.

With the Democratic edge in the Senate, this was a done deal.

If this is so, why all the Sturm und Drang of rightist senators, who tried to twist her "wise Latina" comments like a pretzel? Most of it was mere stage play; stuff to air on local channels back home, to show the 'good ole boys' how you made the 'libural' sweat.

She sat calmly and patiently; with an even tone; and essentially swatted away pesky objections like flies. She never rose to take the bait dangled before her, for she knew, just as they knew, that she was in.

It's a numbers game.

Simple as that.

And if that weren't enough, Hispanics represent the fastest growing minority in the U.S., and they are immensely proud of Sotomayor's appointment to the court, and see it as an historic achievement.

In fact, Sotomayor's judicial record militates against the 'liberal' claim.

She is liberal in the sense that Bill Clinton could've been called one, but 'neo liberal' is actually closer to the mark.

Does one really think George Bush I would've knowingly put a real liberal on the bench? Would Clinton have put one on the appeals court?

For that matter, President Barack Obama isn't the wild-eyed radical socialist that the crazed right raves he is. And neither is Sotomayor the 'racist' that that same wing has trumpeted as the latest scare tactic.

Those chest-thumping tactics have failed miserably.

As I've said, it's a done deal.

--(c) '09 maj
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