How do you feel about Sonya Sotomayor's appointment?

[usregimechange]

US Supreme Court nominee Appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayor (L) makes remarks after US President Barack Obama (R) introduced her to fill the seat being vacated by Justice David Souter, at the White House in Washington, May 26, 2009. Also pictured is Vice President Joe Biden (C). Obama nominated Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, selecting a woman who would be the court's first Latino. Obama's choice of the liberal Sotomayor, a 54-year-old judge on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, was unlikely to change the ideological balance of the high court because Souter, 69, was part of the panel's liberal wing.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES POLITICS CRIME LAW)

How do you feel about the appointment?

[WillParkinson]

1. Had to go neutral...

I do not know enough about the nominee and my mind is on California and their Supreme Court right now so haven't taken the time to read about her.

[chimpymustgo]

2. Good pick. And really tough for the Rethugs to oppose.

[usregimechange]

3. Hoping for good news there as well, suppose to be up in a few minutes

[Birthmark]

4. Meh.

He could have done worse...or better.

[vaberella]

12. Sunstein...is better in my book. But I reaally like Sotomayor, too. n/t

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

33. Obama picked her, so no doubt she'll be great, tho I'd like to hear she's endorsed Roe v. Wade.

[InvisibleTouch]

5. From what little I have read about her just this morning...

...she sounds great. Hope she makes it through the confirmation without any problems!

[POAS]

6. She was on my short list from day one! n/t

[sandnsea]

7. I though she'd be too controversial

Not afraid to make her mark, that's for sure. Hope she makes it!

[ZombieHorde]

8. I am still learning about her. What is her stance on gay marriage? nt

[Cha]

20. I don't know..the only thing I've read

in even connection to that is..

Adelante (1000+ posts) Tue May-26-09 05:36 PM
Response to Original message

2. Evidently a decent person - an anecdote
Long-time gay legal activist Paula Ettelbrick said she met Sotomayor in about 1991 when they both served on then-New York Governor Mario Cuomo's advisory committee on fighting bias.

"Nobody wanted to talk to the queer person at that time," said Ettelbrick, who represented Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. "She was the only one (on the advisory committee) who made a point to come over and introduce herself. She was totally interested (in gay civil rights issues) and supportive."


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8433254#8433598

[Staph]

9. My only concern at the moment

is something I read on Wikipedia (yeah, I know, not the most reliable source) that said that she was diagnosed with diabetes at age 8. Juvenile diabetes is tough on the human body -- I am hoping that she lasts a long, long time on the bench, and that her diabetes will not impede her longevity.

[vaberella]

13. 21st Century and modern meds...I think she'll be fine. But I want her to last a long while too. n/t

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

16. Yes. She is a smoker with diabetes. That's disconcerting for me.

[TahitiNut]

23. OMFG!!! A SMOKER?!?!?! God help us! How Horrible!!!!

:eyes:

[JohnnyBoots]

28. Supreme Court is the one post where stuff like that does matter. Longevity of appointment.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

30. I don't care about the smoking as much as I care about the diabetes.

I have diabetes on both sides of my family; it's no picnic. Smoking adds to that complication.

[fujiyama]

10. Everything I've read about her sounds positive.

She's come up from the Bronx projects, losing her father at a young age. She went to Princeton undergrad and Yale Law (where she was editor of the review there). She later ended up the appeals court. Definitely enough legal experience. Impressive bio. Reminds me a bit of Obama...

I'm a little concerned about her health (diabetes and smoking). I want a lasting moderate-liberal counterweight influence to Alito and Roberts for however many years possible. Those two will be there a while. I hope she will too. I hope Obama has the chance to reshape the court, because as it stands now it clearly leans to the right. Kennedy isn't nearly the swing vote O'Conner was (and she was fairly conservative too).

I'm really a little confused about those disappointed or upset over this, but that's DU for ya. I don't really know WHAT people expected.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. Sounds like a great pick

Female, Hispanic, sounds ideologically sound, appointed by Presidents of BOTH parties. The Repukes are going to have a HARD time (even harder now that we have their "talking points") opposing her unless somebody comes up with some kind of awful scandal involving her IMHO. Another brilliant "chess move" by Obama!}(

[uponit7771]

14. AMEN!!!

[depakid]

15. Ask me again in a year or two

[bigwillq]

17. Same for me.

I think she's a decent pick, but until she serves for a year or two I can't make a judgment.

[Cha]

18. The more I read about her the

more I like her..and, the more the white male mediawhores diss her the better she sounds.

[usregimechange]

21. I have read several of her rulings and video of oral arguments and I have been impressed so far

[IndianaGreen]

19. An excellent choice, but it won't matter anyway!

The GOP will settle for nothing less than a Scalia clone.

[usregimechange]

22. If she is as Souter clone she will likely be around longer than he would have

[usregimechange]

24. That is a 78% DU approval rating

[opihimoimoi]

25. I have to trust Obama on this one....benefit of the doubt time...

[ZombieHorde]

26. I have decided to vote "Good". nt

[Orsino]

27. Well, it's only a nomination so far...

...but she seems potentially terrific.

[insanity]

29. An intelligent jurist who pisses off the republicans?

Hell yeah I'm delighted.

[SpartanDem]

31. Very good

pick I know some people wanted a Scalia clone, but anyone that rigid doesn't need be on a bench

[MessiahRp]

32. I'd like to see some of her rulings on some of the more important issues..

Abortion Rights is a big issue and so far even RW sites are backing off some of their criticism of her because she has ruled in favor of pro-life groups on a few occasions. I need more info to make up my mind but being 1) the pick of a popular Democratic President, 2) latino, or 3) female are not what I base my support on. I want to know where she stands on the issues and get some sort of indication of how she will preside over major court challenges. With at least 5 right leaners on this court we really needed a strong progressive pick to counterbalance and a moderate is not going to help us on a lot of cases.

Rp