Sotomayor P.S.

A couple of additional points about the nomination of U.S. Circuit Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. The first is you’ve got to wonder how hard Republicans dare tread on the first Hispanic nominee to the high court, given that group’s growing electoral clout. A filibuster would please the party’s base, but at what price? And for what purpose? It’s not as though blocking Sotomayor would produce a more conservative nominee from President Barack Obama. Yet GOP senators can’t just wave Sotomayor on through. Some of her public comments over the years are eyebrow-raisers that need examination.

There’s the one about circuit courts making “policy” –  fighting words for lawmakers worried about activist judges — that at a minimum showed a lack of political savvy in someone who had to know she would be on a Democratic president’s Supreme Court short list, thus making every word she uttered subject to intense scrutiny. Then there was the time she said a Latina judge would make better decisions than a white male because of her life experiences. She’s going to get grilled on that one. Hard to imagine John Roberts or Sam Alito getting confirmed if they’d said a white male would reach better judicial conclusions than a Latina or an African-American because of his life experiences.

Barring some major negative development, Sotomayor will be confirmed by the Democrat-dominated Senate. Even so, there’s enough out there for a revealing — and entertaining — few days on her way to confirmation.

Thank you for joining our conversation on ScissorTales. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy.