Sotomayor confirmed as expected, but conservatives declare victory
Mark Wilson/Getty
With a vote of 68-31, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Only Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) did not cast a vote in the confirmation, and 9 Republicans crossed the aisle to vote for Sotomayor. She is the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court.
The confirmation was an unsurprising outcome in what had been a very smooth nomination and confirmation process, despite some antagonistic rhetoric from Republicans. In both her Senate Judiciary Committee hearings and Senate floor hearings, GOP senators referenced her “wise Latina” address, discussed Ricci as evidence of her activism, mentioned her role on the Board of Directors at the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, all while alluding to her support of quotas in affirmative action.
“The confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor brings us closer to realizing the goal of a more perfect Union,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Sotomayor’s confirmation. “My vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor is among those I am most proud to have cast.”
Despite the overwhelming confirmation, some conservatives took the 31 votes against Sotomayor as a sign of victory.
“One need only recall the mere three GOP votes against the elevation of Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court to know that the Republican leadership . . . and most of the party’s other senators deserve tremendous credit for refusing to be cowed by the ‘you better vote for the first Hispanic Supreme Court nominee’ attitude of the White House and Senate Democrats,” said Cur Levey, director of the conservative interest group, Committee for Justice
Conservative victory or not, Sotomayor’s confirmation does little to change the political balance of the Supreme Court as she will be replacing the liberal justice David Souter.
More on True/Slant Right Now
-
-
Related streams
Post Your Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment
T/S Members
Log in with your True/Slant account.
1993, when Ginsburg was confirmed, was a million years ago. Back then, the GOP was not nearly as lockstep crazy as it is today. A few of them might have still ascribed to the concept of “doing the right thing,” despite the politics of the moment.
Today? Not a chance. Every GOP Member voted as an act of political calculus, based on the number of Hispanics in their districts or the number of nutballs they felt they had to abide.
Leahy should have voted for Estrada. Could have got a Latino on the court a lot faster. Anyway, why the heil do we look at everything through the filter of what race they are!
jon stewart sums up conservatives mind set on everything.
“conservatives you won the lottery,
oh no now i have to buy a wallet.”
I don’t see how conservatives think this is a victory, but it does seem like the political calculus behind the voting was highlighted more during the hearings.
I think both sides are going to be surprised by Sotomayor. From what I’ve seen of her rulings, they defy any simple political categorization.