Judge Sotomayor's confirmation hearing is underway and I'm watching it live right now. What am I hoping for? Well, unlike many of my friends on the right and the left, at present, I don't have a firm view of how I personally would vote on this nomination were I in the US Senate-- which I suppose is rather the point. At this stage, I'm really angling for a comprehensive and exhaustive hearing because ultimately, the things I've heard most about Judge Sotomayor are that a) she has a compelling life story b) her nomination is historic c) she made comments about a "wise Latina woman" that some find very objectionable and d) she took a decision in the Ricci case that looks odd, to say the least, to many people. There is more that I know, too, but ultimately, none of it is sufficient information with which to decide whether this is a nomination I personally would get behind or one I would not. I would like to know more about Judge Sotomayor's reasoning, judicial temperament, and philosophy-- much more-- because ultimately, the Senate is going to say yea or nay to her ascending to the highest court in the land, and one that (contrary to what a lot of people on the left and the right actually think) is continually faced with the prospect of hearing cases and reaching decisions involving the least clear and most contentious areas of law. Everyone should be clear, before that happens, on what Judge Sotomayor actually brings to the table apart from a noteworthy biography and views that some have described as racist (rightly or wrongly).
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