Perfectly set as the cherry on top of President Obama's first one hundred days, Associate Justice Souter announced he was resigning from the high court in order to pursue a more simplistic life in his NH home where he apparently does not use electricity, or even a typewriter for that matter. I am personally pleased with many of the decisions Souter has made, except for one or two such as Kelo v. New London where he sided with the majority in a gross expansion of the government's power of eminent domain.
After perusing the political media it appears that they have already settled upon a favorite of Sonia Sotomayor, a judge on the Second Circuit of the Court of Appeals. She is obviously viewed as a triple threat by Democrats as she is a woman, hispanic, and liberal leaning in her decisions. In addition to those aspects she also has a life story that could be appealing to Obama, who said during the campaign he wants not only a legal scholar but some with real life experiences and "empathy" for regular folks. Sotomayor is a single divorcee who grew up in a working class neighborhood and lost her father at a young age. This as well as other aspects which will fill in the blanks could bode well for her.
An interesting article with a more critical look at Ms. Sotomayor, where I obtained some of my information Sotomayor can be found here:
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=45d56e6f-f497-4b19-9c63-04e10199a085
Mainly, the article questions her temperament and intellectual prowess when it comes to interpreting the law and handing down opinions, overall a good read.
As this first appointment saga goes on I will be interested in who Obama pays homage to by leaking his short list. This is a common way of flattering and thanking someone for their support even if you have no intention of choosing them. Being mentioned as a possible candidate for the SCOTUS can be more valuable to someone than any position awarded by the President. If all goes as planned though it appears Sotomayor will be the first Hispanic Justice (though that in itself is debateable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_N._Cardozo ) And Obama will solidify the Hispanic bloc behind him as the precursor to the immigration debate, forcing the Republicans to capitulate in at least some way during that debate so they do not lose the Hispanic vote permanently.
Good times.
1 comment:
I agree with Obama's choice of a person with real experiences. Not to say that being a divorcee, or growing up in a tough neighborhood makes you more qualified but it changes you as a person. People who understand real conflicts have an affinity towards smarter and decisive decisions without the conflict of special interest or appearance. What is right is right and what is wrong is only wrong to some people. That is why a well rounded person would do well in this position.
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