Judge Sonia Sotomayor's First Day of Senate Confirmation Hearings

The battle lines seem to be partisan drawn in the Senate confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor as our newest Supreme Court Justice, with a few notable exceptions.

Republican senators making their opening remarks yesterday, July 13, focused on their fear of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's ability to be a critical judge who would not be swayed by her sex or her heritage as a woman. The harshest criticism came from Alabama's Jeff Sessions who displayed no respect for Judge Sotomayor and painted a picture of a woman running around making all decisions from an emotional empathetic Latino woman's viewpoint.

From Utah's Orin Hatch we heard a much gentler criticism along the same lines, but presented with tact and gentility as he told Ms. Sotomayor that "we are proud of you." And in that damning praise we can appreciate his intent, but question the very bias by which he views women. We do not tell grown capable women of Ms. Sotomayor's abilities that we are proud of her and pat her on the head like a child for doing such good work.

In between the viewpoints of these Republican senators, were those of the rest of the Republican Judicial committee members, all of whom seemed to be doubting the abilities of Judge Sotomayor to separate her womanly compassion and empathy from her sharp legal impartial mind. .

Ms. Sotomayor herself, did little to dispel these notions as she commented on the large number of family members present at the hearing. She was notably proud and her mother, tearful at times, sat behind her and we were able to see her face many times during the hearings. Her stoic support of her daughter paid tribute to family heritage they share.

Democrats made much of that background, emphasizing the hard work of Sotomayor's entire family. As a single mother, Ms. Sotomayor's mother worked two jobs to provide for her family and stressed education as the key for them to rise from their immigrant roots in Puerto Rico. Ms. Sotomayor's brother, a doctor, was also present sitting beside his mother and the striking family presence they offered spoke volumes about Ms. Sotomayor's ethics and family life.

She is an achiever, but then so is every Supreme Court justice nominee. These are not ordinary men and women, but stellar citizens who have all worked hard to achieve greatness. Ms. Sotomayor's story may be uniquely American, as she stated in her closing remarks, but it's a story that can be applied to many Americans, including our current President.

And that may be where the gist of this battle lies, not so much with Sotomayor but between the Republican Senate and President Obama. The Democrats hold a 60 vote majority in the Senate. Mrs. Sotomayor will be confirmed as Republican Senator Lindsay Graham stated in his remarks yesterday, barring a total meltdown or some shocking revelation during the questioning and interview process.

What we will see during the questioning is an attempt to further attack this President and downplay his nominee, to cast light on his judgments and his abilities to be our President.

As always the partisan battles wage. They did so during Justice Alito's confirmation and Justice Robert's, where then Senator Obama voted against both of them. It is a fact that an elected President gets to choose Supreme Court nominees. George Walker Bush chose Alito and Robert's, strongly conservative justices with their own natural bias and viewpoints shaped by their own lives and circumstances. We are all shaped by those events.

President Obama has chosen Judge Sonia Sotomayor and her legal and judicial experience, presented yesterday by the Democrats paints a picture of a woman supremely capable of being the next Supreme Court Justice.

As Senator Diane Feinstein pointed out in her remarks that she has more federal judicial experience than any justice in the past 100 years, a "brilliant legal and judicial career,"

Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse gave the strongest rebuttal to the claims made by the Republicans, saying that judges must show empathy for those marginalized members of society, stating that it's important that the courtroom act as a sanctuary at times..

"The empathy President Obama saw in you has a constitutionally fitting place" on the court, Whitehouse said. "A courtroom is supposed to be a place where the status quo can be disrupted, even upended, where the Constitution or laws may require."

As the last person to speak at the hearings yesterday, Judge Sonia Sotomayor herself, stated that her only consideration when making rulings from the judicial bench, is "fidelity to the law."

That is the question that will be asked of her all this week. She will be asked in many convoluted ways, whether her fidelity to the law will be hampered by her womanly empathy and wise Latino viewpoints.

The answers she give may not affect her nomination, but they will shed light on her and will provide many of us a chance to see the real woman, not the stereotype presented on both sides of the aisle. I think the answer will lie somewhere between both of those stereotypes.

Resources used:

CNN Cable News Show

Betty Malone: Personal viewpoint and observation