Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court Hearings

This week, I will somehow find time to watch the hearings for Supreme Court Justice nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. And like progressives who had to suffer through the nominations of Samuel Alito and Roberts, we'll watch to see how the process is used or abused. We understand that the opposition party is obligated to object and to question and defend their constituents beliefs, but at what point does this obligatory defense become spurious and slanted toward personality instead of the abilities of Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Progressives watched the Supreme Court nominations and hearings of Alito and Roberts and did we object? Yes! We were supposed to. But the simple fact is that Republicans ruled the roost during Bush's reign and his senate nominations went through as they should have. Now it's time for a moderate progressive nomination to be added to the Supreme Court, one that more accurately reflects the political make-up of our country.

Because the opinion polls and the recent elections demonstrate clearly that while some 40 percent of Americans believe Judge Sonia Sottomayor is too liberal to be appointed, 47 percent believe she will be an outstanding Supreme Court judge. (CNN poll on Thursday, July 9) The people have spoken. Let the hearings and the nomination begin. Barack Obama was elected President and his Supreme Court nominee, who meets the qualifications in all aspects, should be seated.

I look forward to seeing the Judge Sonia Sotomayor on the Supreme Court, speaking to and understanding specific issues related to women and Hispanics in American society. Her critics have made much of her remarks about how she values her heritage and background of being an impoverished Latino girl and woman in America, as though that were less than to be desired.

Instead her story resonates with so many of us as we hear how Judge Sotomayor wanted to be a policeman, and for health reasons would not qualify. She decided she'd follow in Perry Mason's footsteps and become an attorney instead.

As valedictorian of her high school class, Sonia Sotomayor began her meritorious rise through the ranks of Princeton and on into public life, where she has excelled continually. In this week's hearings, we can expect to hear from witnesses from this illustrious past. And we'll hear some from the opposition party, who will try and paint a negative picture of her values, beliefs and abilities based around race and gender.

It's inspiring to hear Sonia Sotomayor pay tribute to her widowed mother who worked two jobs to support her talented and hardworking daughter. I am excited about the diversity that her appointment adds to a Supreme Court packed with white, upper middle class men, as though they somehow have a superior opinion of what American life should be.

Women everywhere should be championing this woman and it's time we spoke up clearly and loudly in Judge Sonia Sotomayor's defense.

Let your senator know how you feel and ask them if they have read the 5000 pages she sent to each senator in response to questions they had asked her in private meetings. Or perhaps they have just been busy formenting their plans to delay and distract us from the supreme qualifications this woman has to be a Supreme Court Justice for the United States of America.

Televised hearings will begin on Monday and possibly continue through Thursday. You can watch on CNN or on your local PBS station, as well as other cable news channel excerpts. http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/26/sotomayor.reax/index.html

And if you haven't done your own research on Judge Sonia Sotomayor, I suggest you begin with this Wikipedia article that outlines the basic facts and provides numerous links to explore.

Resources used in research on article

National Public Radio

Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Biography

Wiki pedia article on Judge Sonia Sotomayor

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