PostHeaderIcon Sonia Sotomayor nominated to the US Supreme Court



Pres. Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor, a hispanic federal judge to be the replacement of Justice David Souter in the US Supreme Court. The 54 year old daughter of Puerto Rican parents with humble beginnings, Sotomayor grew up in a housing project in Bronx and studied in Primceton and the Yale Law School with the help of her mom, a nurse by profession. She married when she was a student, but was subsequently divorced without children.

Prior to her nomination on May 26, 2009, she worked as a NY assistant district attorney, a commercial litigator, and later a federal judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York upon the nomination of former Pres. George HW Bush. Sotomayor will be the first Latina to sit on the bench of the US Supreme Court if confirmed.

"As Majority Leader, I will do all I can to ensure Judge Sonia Sotomayor receives a fair and respectful hearing and the Senate's quick confirmation." — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"Senate Republicans will treat Judge Sotomayor fairly. But we will thoroughly examine her record to ensure she understands that the role of a jurist in our democracy is to apply the law evenhandedly, despite their own feelings or personal or political preferences." — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

"She must prove her commitment to impartially deciding cases based on the law, rather than based on her own personal politics, feelings and preferences." — Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, member of the Judiciary Committee."


As the confirmation process of Sotomayor proceeds, she will be under deep scrutiny from all sides of government and politics. Obama thinks she is well-qualified for the job and praises her as an “inspiring woman,” but conservative groups, reviewing her past, have started thinking if she is a liberal activist whose decision may be based on feelings rather than on constitutional ground.

With a clear Democratic majority in the senate and barring any serious issue against her, Sotomayor is likely to be confirmed in office.(Photo Credit: White House/ Pete Souza) =0=

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