tagged w/ Sonia Sotomayor
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NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor says her nomination process was so tightly scripted that even her clothes were chosen for her.NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor says her nomination process... more
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A recast Supreme Court kicked off its new season Monday, with novice Justice Sonia Sotomayor immediately taking center stage.
In just an hour, the court's newest justice asked more questions than Justice Clarence Thomas has asked over the course of several years. Sotomayor's aggressive role in a Fifth Amendment case, in turn, underscored how she could put her own stamp on a court whose 2009-2010 docket is still taking shape.
"The Supreme Court is already off to a notable start, and there is so much more to come," Caroline Fredrickson, the executive director of the American Constitution Society, a liberal lawyers organization, said even before inaugural oral argument Monday.
The 55-plus cases already scheduled for the coming months cover everything from gun rights and patent protection to free speech and the punishment of juveniles. The court is likely to accept another 25 or so cases before the 2009-10 term ends next June.
As always, some cases are acutely technical; dry as dust pension disputes, for instance. Others carry constitutional significance, a compelling set of facts or sometimes both.
More @ linkA recast Supreme Court kicked off its new season Monday, with novice Justice Sonia... more
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Supreme Court Justice Stevens is a master strategist, who, if he retires, would probably leave the more liberal justices in a somewhat weakened position.Supreme Court Justice Stevens is a master strategist, who, if he retires, would... more
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Sonia Sotomayor became the Supreme Court's newest justice Saturday, pledging during a brief ceremony at the high court to defend the Constitution and administer impartial justice.
Sotomayor, 55, is the first Hispanic justice and only the third woman in the court's 220-year history.
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Are you pleased with the Sotomayor confirmation?Sonia Sotomayor became the Supreme Court's newest justice Saturday, pledging during a... more
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Honolulu Star-Bulletin - August 7, 2009
The "Jubilee of Statehood," was supposed to be a humdinger of an event. But the mood had changed considerably since 1959, so the state's celebration commission decided to downplay the jubilant part of jubilee.
You see, over the last few decades Hawaiians became increasingly aware that there was something wrong with statehood. The more that was discovered about the shady circumstances that led to statehood, the more statehood looked like a massive con job. The people of Hawai`i (and the world, for that matter) were hoodwinked.
The passage of the Apology Resolution in 1993 by Congress and signed by the president, had obvious implications: It confirmed that Hawai`i was being unlawfully possessed by the U.S.; that the Kingdom of Hawai`i never ceased to be; and that the people of Hawaii had the lawful right (indeed, patriotic duty) to restore their country.
The Republic of Hawai`i was unlawful; the annexation of Hawai`i by the U.S. was unlawful; the Territory of Hawai`i was unlawful; and the State of Hawai`i was and is unlawful.
This is radically different from Hawai`i being the 50th state. The dilemma for the state is: celebrating the jubilee of a lie.
Oliver Dukelow
Kahakuloa Village, MauiHonolulu Star-Bulletin - August 7, 2009
The "Jubilee of Statehood," was supposed to... more
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Sonia Sotomayor became the Supreme Court's newest justice Saturday, pledging during a brief ceremony at the high court to defend the Constitution and administer impartial justice.
Sotomayor, 55, is the first Hispanic justice and only the third woman in the court's 220-year history.
She took the second of two oaths of office from Chief Justice John Roberts in an ornate conference room, beneath a portrait of the legendary Chief Justice John Marshall. Her left hand resting on a Bible that was held by her mother, Celina, Sotomayor pledged to "do equal right to the poor and to the rich."
Minutes earlier, she swore a first oath in a private ceremony in the room where the justices hold their private conferences.
Sotomayor wore a cream-colored suit and her right ankle, fractured in a fall a couple of weeks after her nomination to the court, was unbandaged. Her 60 or so guests included Justice Anthony Kennedy, White House counsel Greg Craig and other members of the Obama administration team that helped prepare her for her Senate confirmation hearings, family and friends.
Roberts, wearing his black judicial robe, said that once the oaths were done, Sotomayor could "begin work as associate justice without delay."
President Barack Obama scheduled a White House reception for Sotomayor on Wednesday.
The court is set to hear arguments Sept. 9 in a campaign finance case. The entire court will convene the day before for a formal ceremony to welcome Sotomayor.
Sotomayor has been a federal judge for 17 years. Obama nominated her in May to take the place of Justice David Souter after Souter announced his retirement. The Senate confirmed Sotomayor's nomination Thursday by a 68-31 vote.
The oath that Sotomayor took in private is prescribed by the Constitution and required of all federal officials. The second oath, taken in front of a television audience, is spelled out in the 220-year-old federal law that established the federal court system.Sonia Sotomayor became the Supreme Court's newest justice Saturday, pledging during a... more
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WASHINGTON — Justice Sonia Sotomayor took the judicial oath on Saturday, becoming the first Hispanic and third woman to serve on the Supreme Court in United States history.
At just past 11 a.m., Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. administered a pair of oaths to her in two private ceremonies at the Supreme Court building, completing her ascent to a life-tenured position as the nation's 111th justice, and the first to be nominated by a Democratic president since 1994.
In the first ceremony, which took place in the justice’s conference room and was attended only by her relatives and a court photographer, she took the standard oath affirmed by all federal employees, swearing to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."
She and the chief justice then walked to the court’s East Conference Room for the judicial oath, in which she stood before about 60 friends and family members and swore to "administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me" under the Constitution and laws of the United States.WASHINGTON — Justice Sonia Sotomayor took the judicial oath on Saturday, becoming... more
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Sonia Sotomayor is poised to make history as the Supreme Court's first Hispanic justice despite staunch opposition from Republicans who call her ill-suited for the bench, a pending victory for Democrats who believe her confirmation will pay off politically.Sonia Sotomayor is poised to make history as the Supreme Court's first Hispanic... more
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WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Judd Gregg says he'll vote for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, breaking with most of his fellow Republicans.
The New Hampshire senator says that he may not agree with Sotomayor on all issues or share her political ideology but that she's obviously well-qualified to be a justice. He becomes the eighth Republican to publicly announce he will support President Barack Obama's first high court nominee.
Nearly three-quarters of the Senate's Republicans have said they'll vote against Sotomayor, including all but one of the party's leaders. But with no Democrats expected to oppose her, she has more than enough support to be easily confirmed in a vote expected as early as Thursday.WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Judd Gregg says he'll vote for Supreme Court nominee... more
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The National Rifle Association's attempt to derail the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is failing. The NRA opposes Sotomayor, calling her "hostile" to the Second Amendment. In an effort to frighten law makers the NRA reports it will include the vote on her confirmation in its political ratings.The National Rifle Association's attempt to derail the confirmation of Supreme Court... more
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The National Rifle Association's threat to punish senators who vote for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayorhas been met with a shrug by Democrats from conservative-leaning states and some Republicans who are breaking with their party to support her.
The gun-rights group is used to getting its way by spooking lawmakers about the political consequences of defying its wishes. But it never before has weighed in on a Supreme Court confirmation battle. It was cautious about breaking that pattern, and it looks like a losing fight to defeat President Barack Obama's first pick for the court.
Sotomayor is expected to easily win confirmation in a vote this coming week that could deflate the long-accepted truism in Washington that you don't cross the NRA.
Many Republicans who were considered possible "yes" votes for Sotomayor — including Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, Georgia Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, and Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison — have come out against her after the NRA's announcement, citing gun-rights concerns as an important reason.
Some Democrats who have high NRA ratings, including Alaska Sen. Mark Begich and Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, are on the fence.
Still, the NRA's threats seem to hold less potency on this vote. Asked whether he was worried about ruining his perfect NRA score and endorsement by opting to vote for Sotomayor, Nelson paused and said with a smile, "I'd probably have a good rating regardless."
The NRA derives much of its considerable clout from what has become a kind of mantra on Capitol Hill: Defy the gun lobby on something it cares about and face recriminations at the polls; back it and enjoy a substantial political boost.
It's something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Lawmakers generally are terrified to test it, and the NRA is politically savvy about which issues it takes on. Its won-loss record adds to its reputation as untouchable.The National Rifle Association's threat to punish senators who vote for Supreme Court... more
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Al Franken spewed fire and Amy Klobuchar threw brimstone this morning at the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote on Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Minnesotans joined 10 other Democrats and one Republican in approving the nominee, but not before Franken raked the current Court and Klobuchar decried bias against women on the bench.Al Franken spewed fire and Amy Klobuchar threw brimstone this morning at the Senate... more
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Barack Obama's first supreme court nominee may face opposition from Republicans.
Sonia Sotomayor is expected to advance a step further toward taking a seat as America's first Hispanic supreme court justice today, when a Senate panel votes on whether to confirm her nomination.
Sotomayor, a New York federal judge, is expected to win the vote in the Senate judiciary committee, which would then forward her nomination to the full Senate. All 12 Democrats on the panel are expected to back her. Most of the seven Republicans have said they will oppose her nomination.
Sotomayor is President Barack Obama's first supreme court nominee. If confirmed she will replace David Souter, a liberal justice, and federal court watchers say she is unlikely radically to alter the court's ideological makeup.Barack Obama's first supreme court nominee may face opposition from Republicans.... more
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Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor appears headed to quick confirmation as the first Hispanic justice in spite of opposition from a growing chorus of conservative Republican senators who say she would bring liberal bias to the high court.Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor appears headed to quick confirmation as the... more
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The senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee says he'll vote against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.The senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee says he'll vote against... more
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AP
Published: July 22, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham says he’ll vote for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor breaking with his party’s conservative leaders. The South Carolinian had hinted during Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings that he might back President Barack Obama’s first high court nominee.
His announcement brings the total number of Republicans publicly backing her to five. Graham is generally conservative but has been known to flash a
maverick streak similar to his mentor, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
The other Republicans who’ve said they’ll vote for Sotomayor, who would be the first Hispanic justice, are all moderates. The 55-year-old appeals court judge is expected to win confirmation in early August.AP
Published: July 22, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham says... more
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An aide to Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins says Collins will vote for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.An aide to Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins says Collins will vote for Supreme... more
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Kathleen Parker
July 20, 2009
WASHINGTON -- Followers of Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court confirmation hearings were witness to a now-familiar phenomenon. Women are treated differently than men in such settings.
To wit: Questions posed to Sotomayor about her temperament -- is she a bully? -- wouldn't likely be posed to a similarly qualified man.
Judicial temperament is a legitimate concern, of course. But watching Sotomayor take questions about her moods from the nearly all-male Senate Judiciary Committee, one couldn't help wondering how those same fellows would hold up under similar scrutiny while a roomful of women took aim at their ... fortitude.
(more at link)
------------------------------------------Kathleen Parker
July 20, 2009
WASHINGTON -- Followers of Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme... more
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By FRANK RICH
Published: July 18, 2009
AS political theater, the Sonia Sotomayor hearings tanked faster than the 2008 Fred Thompson presidential campaign. They boasted no drama to rival the Clarence-Anita slapdown, the Bork hissy fits or the tearful exodus of Samuel Alito’s wife. There was rarely a moment to match even the high point of the Senate’s previous grilling of Sotomayor — in 1997, when she was elevated to the Second Circuit. It was then that Senator John Ashcroft of Missouri previewed the brand of white male legal wisdom that would soon become his hallmark at the Bush Justice Department. “Do you believe there’s a constitutional right to homosexual conduct by prisoners?” he asked. (She aced it: “No, sir.”)
(more at link)
--------------------------------By FRANK RICH
Published: July 18, 2009
AS political theater, the Sonia Sotomayor... more
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EXCERPT-
News flash: There are many Americans of all cultures & walks of life who hold honesty, integrity, individual responsibility, & innovation up on high pedestals—these values are goals to be reached.
Contrary to what the Liberal machine & the media would have you believe America’s “entrepreneurial spirit” is not a “white thing.”EXCERPT-
News flash: There are many Americans of all cultures & walks of life who... more
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