LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Don’t forget what happened to Bork

Peter Sams, Henderson

Saturday, June 6, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.

Irwin Kaufman was absolutely correct when he wrote in a Thursday letter to the editor in the Las Vegas Sun that federal judge Sonia Sotomayor is a distinguished jurist, a summa cum laude graduate of Princeton University and a graduate of Yale Law School.

Miguel Estrada (nominated by George W. Bush to be a federal appeals court judge) and Robert Bork (nominated by Ronald Reagan to be a Supreme Court justice) had qualifications equal to Ms. Sotomayor’s, if not better, but they were never confirmed. This is defined as hypocrisy.

Discussion: 5 comments so far…

By KillerB

6/6/09 at 6:29 a.m.

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Sams -- take a closer look, especially at the cautionary notice from Ira Shapiro. Sotomayor is neither qualified nor distinguished, and she's not entirely friendly to the Constitution she swore an oath to uphold. There are far more "distinguished" candidates than her, including her Hispanic colleague, Jose Cabranes.

You can find Shapiro's article at http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/05/2...
By kivew

6/6/09 at 10:19 a.m.

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why dont you tell the truth about Sotomayor, instead or the lies written by the Cato Inst?*

Judge Sonia Sotomayor, 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals

Born 1954. Has been on the appeals bench since 1998, named a district court judge by Bush in 1992, so would have some bipartisan support. Moderate-liberal views and Hispanic heritage considered big pluses. She is near the top of many people's list.*
By KillerB

6/6/09 at 10:35 a.m.

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klview -- lies?? I don't parrot the Cato Institute, but have found them to be quite credible. I've read several of her rulings forming the basis of questioning both her fitness and qualifications for the high bench.

You have what to support your irrelevant rant?
By El_Lobo

6/6/09 at 12:02 p.m.

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KillerB.....

You said:

"I've read several of her rulings forming the basis of questioning both her fitness and qualifications for the high bench."

Allow me to get this straight.....you have read several of her rulings? Does that mean you actually read her rulings (every word she said...) or you're just repeating what some one else said about her rulings? Major difference....

I think it's interesting that Bush nominated her to a spot on the federal district court back in 1992.....I guess Bush wasn't too concerned about the things that you seem to be concerned about?

Here's what the White House said about Sotomayer:

"If confirmed for the Supreme Court, Judge Sotomayor would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice in 100 years, and more overall judicial experience than anyone confirmed for the Court in the past 70 years. ...

In 1998, Judge Sotomayor became the first Latina to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, one of the most demanding circuits in the country. She has participated in over 3000 panel decisions and authored roughly 400 opinions, handling difficult issues of constitutional law, to complex procedural matters, to lawsuits involving complicated business organizations."

In short, for what ever it's worth....she will be approved by the Senate & she will take her seat on the Supreme Court. Get ready to accept that.....
By Auslander

6/6/09 at 8:51 p.m.

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Not qualified? What was Clarence Thomas? One year on a circuit court bench and no other judicial experience. That confirmation process lowered the bar to the ground. Sotomayor might not be my pick politically, but the "unqualified" argument is simply lame.