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mriff · 05-26-2009, 06:52 PM

What do you think of the new Supreme Court pick? Apparently Rush is not a fan.

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Limbaugh slams Sotomayor: xxx8216;Reverse racistxxx8217; « - Blogs from CNN.com

test54 · 05-26-2009, 11:19 PM

I personally do not know much about her but from the coverage so far it seems she is very qualified and a good representative of the population. Same as with every President, they get to choose who they want as long as they are not too far out. No surprise here that Obama chose someone that he both respects personally and agrees with on how the job should be handled.

JSanders · 05-26-2009, 11:30 PM

I predict she will be "Bork"ed. She has a questionable past.

Fail for Obama.

Dawg · 05-27-2009, 05:09 AM

never heard of her.

kathrynhr · 05-27-2009, 07:54 AM

Quote from the article:

Quote:

Limbaugh took particular issue with a 2001 speech at Berkeley during which she stated a "wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

Hmmm...

Well, OK. I believe I see both sides of this. Is one person's personal experience inherently more "rich" than another's? That's what she's implying.

JSanders · 05-27-2009, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathrynhr

Quote from the article:

"would more often than not reach a better conclusion":

A conclusion about what? What makes hers more qualified than another -- because she a "wise latina woman?" lol, no.

Sounds like an attitude of reverse racism to me, and especially moreso if you read her entire statement in context.

Quote:

The larger context of the sentence is Sotomayor addressing former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's famous quote that "a wise old man and wise old woman will reach the same conclusion in deciding cases."

"I am also not so sure that I agree with the statement," Sotomayor says. "First, as Professor Martha Minnow has noted, there can never be a universal definition of wise. Second, I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

"Let us not forget that wise men like Oliver Wendell Holmes and Justice Cardozo voted on cases which upheld both sex and race discrimination in our society," she said. "Until 1972, no Supreme Court case ever upheld the claim of a woman in a gender discrimination case. I, like Professor Carter, believe that we should not be so myopic as to believe that others of different experiences or backgrounds are incapable of understanding the values and needs of people from a different group. Many are so capable. As Judge Cedarbaum pointed out to me, nine white men on the Supreme Court in the past have done so on many occasions and on many issues including Brown."

kathrynhr · 05-27-2009, 08:52 AM

The experience that comes with having been through adversity, and come out the other side with grace and dignity, is very valuable. But to imply that white males don't have any such experience (because they're white males) is ludicrous. What about someone like Rudy Giuliani, who grew up poor? What about someone like John McCain, who was a POW? What about white men who have battled cancer? What about those who are 9/11 widowers? What about recovering addicts? The list goes on and on.

Racism and sexism are two types of adversity. Unfortunately, they have affected more than half the population of the U.S. at one point or the other. They are not, however, the only two types of adversity.

I agree with Ms. Sotomayer on what I believe to be her underlying point: people who haven't dealt with any serious problems in life (overwhelmingly those born with a silver spoon in their mouths) are unfit for leadership roles.

However, her massive failure to either recognize or credit any experience apart from her own -- as evidenced by this remark -- does not sit well with me. I'm reluctant to judge the woman by a single interview, but it seems based on this that she's a little on the self-righteous side. Have the life lessons she's touting not sunk in? Have her humble beginnings not taught her humility? Scary.

Aside: I think racism is racism, no matter who the passive aggressor is. I don't think "reverse racism" is a valid label.

JSanders · 05-27-2009, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathrynhr

Aside: I think racism is racism, no matter who the passive aggressor is. I don't think "reverse racism" is a valid label.

I agree with your statement, Kathryn. Reverse racism is not a valid label, but as you know, as we have all been beaten over the head by Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, a minority black man can not be a racist

, so therefore the new term to comply with their idiotic edict was created.

Racism is racism, whether a statement from a white man, any minority, or even a nominated Supreme Court Justice!

test54 · 05-27-2009, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathrynhr

I agree with Ms. Sotomayer on what I believe to be her underlying point: people who haven't dealt with any serious problems in life (overwhelmingly those born with a silver spoon in their mouths) are unfit for leadership roles.

I agree with your opinion here. I think her point was just that.

A Supreme Court Justice that has experience with a tough upbringing is nothing to hold them back. Whether its Clarence Thomas, Sandra Day O'connor or Sotomayer, their struggles / hurdles in life because of their race or gender is nothing to put down or hide.

JSanders · 05-27-2009, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by test54

A Supreme Court Justice that has experience with a tough upbringing is nothing to hold them back. Whether its Clarence Thomas, Sandra Day O'connor or Sotomayer, their struggles / hurdles in life because of their race or gender is nothing to put down or hide.

Mark the day. I agree with that too.

Let the vetting begin.

mriff · 05-27-2009, 06:58 PM

It should be interesting. I don't know that she'll be 'Borked'. But I don't think it will be an easy process for her either. I think she'll get hammered on some of her comments, especially those that appear to be 'off the record'. There will be a few of those 'white guys' who will take pleasure in letting her know that they aren't happy with some of her comments. Let the pollitical theater begin.

akosnitzky · 05-27-2009, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg

never heard of her.

I havent either. They interviewed her mom who lives 20 min from me.

kathrynhr · 05-29-2009, 01:01 AM

Quote:

"Personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see," she said. "My hope is that I will take the good from my experiences and extrapolate them further into areas with which I am unfamiliar. I simply do not know exactly what that difference will be in my judging. But I accept there will be some based on my gender and my Latina heritage."

I would like to believe this quote is a reflection of her pragmatism, but I fear it is an (enthusiastic) embrace of her prejudices instead.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/...eax/index.html

Dawg · 05-29-2009, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wrote in a Twitter post Wednesday, "White man racist nominee would be forced to withdraw. Latina woman racist should also withdraw."

sounds fair to me.

kathrynhr · 05-29-2009, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg

sounds fair to me.

And to me.

Newt Gingrich is right: if a white man had made a remark about the richness of his own experiences as compared with your average everyday Latina, he'd be raked over the coals for it, and rightfully.