President Obama nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court Justice this morning at a press conference in the West Room of the White House. Judge Sotomayor,54, would replace retiring Justice David Souter on the bench of the highest ranking American court.
Sotomayor, who is now bearing the brunt of much Republican dismay, is currently serving on the bench of New York’s 2nd Circuit Court Of Appeals in Manhattan, one of the most demanding circuits in the country. She was appointed to this position in 1998 by President Bill Clinton (D).
President Obama believes that Sotomayor has a “common touch” and a knowledge of real life law, being the only trial lawyer in the Supreme Court if elected. The knowledge and touch in which the president speaks of does not come without real life experiences.
Judge Sotomayor is a first generation American born in Bronx, NY to parents who emigrated from Puerto Rico in the 1940’s. Her mother and father hoped for the best for their two children in a “country of opportunities”. However, they found themselves in the Bronx projects behind Yankees stadium.
“Hopefully being a lifelong Yankees fan won’t be held against her” -President Obama
Her mother, who she admires greatly, was a nurse in the Army Corps of Nurses and worked two jobs to provide for her children. Judge Sotomayor, who attended Catholic School during her primary years, yearned for more and was inspired by Nancy Drew novels and the “Perry Mason” TV program. She went on to graduate top of her class with a B.A. from Princeton University in 1976 and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979. After graduation she worked at a private law firm and Assistant District Attorney in NYC until 1991. In 1991 President George H.W. Bush (R) appointed her to the Southern District of New York’s, U.S. District Court.
Sotomayor’s nomination does not come without speculation from the GOP. Republicans, believe that she is “too liberal” and an “activist judge”. The nomination of Sonia Sotomayor is a genius move by the Obama Camp. The GOP, which is falling apart rapidly, can not withstand a blow of this magnitude if Republicans in Congress vote against her confirmation. Unfortunately for the Republican party, Sotomayor is the first nominee who is Hispanic and only the third woman to be granted this opportunity. She was also appointed to the U.S. District Court by a Republican President. If the GOP goes after this candidate, they will see the communities, who they are hoping to gain in future elections, run further away from the party.
