Obama nominates Judge Sonia Sotomayor

[Oleg Bach]

Yes I tell you.

I adore you when you are provoked - hopeful and faithful you be with your fellow human beings - maybe you can bring out the best - I guess I have been to busy convicting and accusing - It's like the mythical Satan figure - who's original job in the royal devine court was to accuse the guilty - and present the information to God - he was like a Crown Attorney - Once the accuser (satan) presented the evidence - God would weigh it - then convict if appropriate..THEN - the boss would send the arch angel Michael to bring your sorry ass to devine jail....but - the Satan figure became overly ambitious - he started to accuse the innocent to gain more points - hence he was later refered to as the slanderer...There a bit of very old lore for you benny.

[benny]

I adore you when you are provoked - hopeful and faithful you be with your fellow human beings - maybe you can bring out the best - I guess I have been to busy convicting and accusing

Sotomayor is better positioned than white American males to deal with your right in the "pursuit of happiness" that seems to become out of your control.

[Oleg Bach]

Sotomayor is better positioned than white American males to deal with your right in the "pursuit of happiness" that seems to become out of your control.

I do not want the right to persue happiness - I want the right to catch it.

[benny]

I do not want the right to persue happiness - I want the right to catch it.

But the drafters of the US Declaration of Independence decided to replace the "rights of life, liberty and property" by the "rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" to prevent slaves from catching anything.

[KrustyKidd]

Because of slavery, I know for a fact that Americans have had in the past biased judges and politicians who have screwed things up completely according to their own personal interests without regard for equality and the law and then, now, wholeheartedly we have to rectify those errant judgments.

One only need to look at the recent election of the second black US president to see how things have changed beyond slavery times. In any case, your analogy is a poor one as slavery was the law of the land at one time and judges of those times upheld the law of those times. If you remember, a war was fought which changed this, not judges.

[benny]

One only need to look at the recent election of the second black US president

Obama is not black since his mother was white!

Edited May 30, 2009 by benny

[CANADIEN]

One only need to look at the recent election of the second black US president to see how things have changed beyond slavery times.

OK now, entertain us. Who was the first US Black president?

[benny]

OK now, entertain us. Who was the first US Black president?

KrustyKidd will respond Bill Clinton, but the first Black president would be someone much more like Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Edited May 30, 2009 by benny

[KrustyKidd]

OK now, entertain us. Who was the first US Black president?

President Warren Harding. Although Coolidge, Jackson and Lincoln also were thought to be black. Well, part black just as Obama is anyhow.

[benny]

President Warren Harding.

or John Hanson

[KrustyKidd]

or John Hanson

No, the black Hanson was never president.

[Oleg Bach]

Heard a quote by Sonia Sotomayor..it's dated but I will para-pharse " I as a latino WOMAN am better equipped to make certain decisions than your typical WHITE MALE" ---------------------------------------------OKAY ---- Travel back in time - There was a time when white males would say that they are better equipped in every way to make important decisons - more so than blacks or hispanics etc...that was actually quite shallow approach - NOW - we have a person who BEHAVES EXACTLY - LIKE THE WHITE MALE OF OLD - AND WHO NOW LOOKS AT WHITE MALES AS INFERIOURS......does it ever stop - this silly vacillating pre-judice? So we get rid of the WHITE MALE racist - and now Obama inserts a woman that is clearly a sexist feminist and a racist - great - just great - look how far we have progressed.................................to no where!

[stevoh]

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.

First off, yes, I am left wing biased. I fully recognize that when I read something like this, I am going to going to give anyone from Obama's team the benefit of the doubt, while anyone from the republicans I would be all over like a horny dog on your leg at a family picnic.

The key for me is the statement "who hasn't lived that life". I DO happen to believe that diversity of experience will lead to better judgement, so I agree with that portion of the statement. I DO also think its unfortunate that the phrase "latino woman" is part of the statement. It does indicate, to me anyway, a bias. I could argue that a slight bias that way is an effective counter to historially obvious biases FOR white males, but I won't.

For me to support it fully, it would read:

"Second, I would hope that a wise person with richness of experience..."

[benny]

First off, yes, I am left wing biased. I fully recognize that when I read something like this, I am going to going to give anyone from Obama's team the benefit of the doubt, while anyone from the republicans I would be all over like a horny dog on your leg at a family picnic.

The key for me is the statement "who hasn't lived that life". I DO happen to believe that diversity of experience will lead to better judgement, so I agree with that portion of the statement. I DO also think its unfortunate that the phrase "latino woman" is part of the statement. It does indicate, to me anyway, a bias. I could argue that a slight bias that way is an effective counter to historially obvious biases FOR white males, but I won't.

For me to support it fully, it would read:

"Second, I would hope that a wise person with richness of experience..."

I have to disagree. It is in the nature of social studies to use routinely social categories like "Latino" and "women" and a society certainly needs social studies to make better decisions about its direction. If these studies would arrive at the conclusion that a Latina woman has fewer chances to become wise and have a richness of experiences, it would be enough to put a Latina woman on the Supreme Court.

Edited May 31, 2009 by benny

[Oleg Bach]

I have to disagree. It is in the nature of social studies to use routinely social categories like "Latino" and "women" and a society certainly needs social studies to make better decisions about its direction. If these studies would arrive at the conclusion that a Latina woman has fewer chances to become wise and have a richness of experiences, it would be enough to put a Latina woman on the Supreme Court.

I don't like the affirmative action thing - it starts off well and is good intentioned but if not critized - it can rip down the proverbial slippery slope like a concrete taboggan. Before you know it - it will become something that would cause the same outrage if there was a Zionist lunitic - in office and all he hired was secular globalist cabalic jews--- the person best suited for the position should be hired - and not who ever empowers the president strickly for the sake of power for powers sake alone....sure she might prove to be very good - but she may also be a clunker - much like Condi Rice - who is a great seniour student with a fine memory - when going by the book - and even a piano player - BUT with one defect - a lack of talent and a person who freezes in the middle of a performance if you remove the sheet music - What ever happened to a President that would be dilgent in his duty....and search out a person that was perfect - rather then settling for imperfections for the sake of political expediencey.

[benny]

I don't like the affirmative action thing - it starts off well and is good intentioned but if not critized - it can rip down the proverbial slippery slope like a concrete taboggan. Before you know it - it will become something that would cause the same outrage if there was a Zionist lunitic - in office and all he hired was secular globalist cabalic jews--- the person best suited for the position should be hired - and not who ever empowers the president strickly for the sake of power for powers sake alone....sure she might prove to be very good - but she may also be a clunker - much like Condi Rice - who is a great seniour student with a fine memory - when going by the book - and even a piano player - BUT with one defect - a lack of talent and a person who freezes in the middle of a performance if you remove the sheet music - What ever happened to a President that would be dilgent in his duty....and search out a person that was perfect - rather then settling for imperfections for the sake of political expediencey.

Imperfection has to be placed in the highest position if we want to evaluate the constructiveness of criticisms.

[stevoh]

I have to disagree. It is in the nature of social studies to use routinely social categories like "Latino" and "women" and a society certainly needs social studies to make better decisions about its direction. If these studies would arrive at the conclusion that a Latina woman has fewer chances to become wise and have a richness of experiences, it would be enough to put a Latina woman on the Supreme Court.

While I understand the necessity of programs such as affirmative action, racism against non whites isn't changed through simply saying "don't be a racist", I think in this case her wording was regrettable. While I am waiting for her own response to this issue before forming any firm conclusions about what she really meant, the White House Press secretary himself has stated:

I think she'd say that her word choice in 2001 was poor; that she was simply making the point that personal experiences are relevant to the process of judging; that your personal experiences make you -- have a tendency to make you more aware of certain facts in certain cases; that your experiences impact your understanding -- I think we all agree with that; and that on a court that's collegial, that it can help others that are trying to wrestle with the facts of those cases.

I 100% agree with his assertation.

[sharkman]

But stevoh, don't you know spin when you see it? The press secretary was attempting to improve the meaning of her quote. And so he should because her words are damning. But they are what they are, she thinks that a latino woman can have better judgement than another cultures. That is so wrong. Why does she feel that a richness of experience that a white male would have is not equal?

Then her comment that she tried to reverse when she remembered she was being taped, that policy is made from the bench speaks of a activist judge trying to promote policy. Remember justice is supposed to be blind to these things, not create policy from the bench.

[stevoh]

But stevoh, don't you know spin when you see it? The press secretary was attempting to improve the meaning of her quote. And so he should because her words are damning. But they are what they are, she thinks that a latino woman can have better judgement than another cultures. That is so wrong. Why does she feel that a richness of experience that a white male would have is not equal?

Then her comment that she tried to reverse when she remembered she was being taped, that policy is made from the bench speaks of a activist judge trying to promote policy. Remember justice is supposed to be blind to these things, not create policy from the bench.

Like I said, I am left wing biased, so unless I have really compelling evidence otherwise, I will always give another left winger the benefit of the doubt.

I have no doubt, that in the same situation, if these words had come from a republican, I would view it as spin also. But since it comes from a left winger, I see it as an honest mistep.

[sharkman]

I have to allow that I would give the same slack to a right of center choice. But here's the rub, if one of Bush's choice had said that a white man's richness of experience allows him to judge better than a Latino woman, the left wing world would have freaked out 24/7 until his name was withdrawn.

What's sad to be is that the MSM is completely defending her and regaling each other with stories of her upbringing instead of digging in her experience to see what she's made of. They are in complete lock step with anything Obama does and so we no longer have a watch dog press as they used to call themselves, but a lap dog.

Again, if it had been a Bush pick, they'd be rabid, and it allows Obama the freedom to, say, fire the head of GM, force the car industry to do his bidding, and all manner of things that completely change the landscape, all done without any questions from our watch dog press. The lone wolf is Fox news, everyone else in the MSM is worshipping the leader.

[stevoh]

I have to allow that I would give the same slack to a right of center choice. But here's the rub, if one of Bush's choice had said that a white man's richness of experience allows him to judge better than a Latino woman, the left wing world would have freaked out 24/7 until his name was withdrawn.

What's sad to be is that the MSM is completely defending her and regaling each other with stories of her upbringing instead of digging in her experience to see what she's made of. They are in complete lock step with anything Obama does and so we no longer have a watch dog press as they used to call themselves, but a lap dog.

Again, if it had been a Bush pick, they'd be rabid, and it allows Obama the freedom to, say, fire the head of GM, force the car industry to do his bidding, and all manner of things that completely change the landscape, all done without any questions from our watch dog press. The lone wolf is Fox news, everyone else in the MSM is worshipping the leader.

I think in our current political climate that any slight against a minority group from the majority is going to be a huge newsworthy item, whereas a minority group passing judgement on the majority is "ok" because of their background.

I don't agree with it, and I hope to eventually have a world where a persons race, color, and sexual orientation simply doesn't matter, but I also understand that previously oppressed minorities have a right to feel empowered. I just wish it wasn't at the expense of the majority.

And as far as the MSM defending her and the press being Obamas lap dog. I have two comments, the press and in fact the democrats are not letting Obama simply have his way, see "guantanimo detainees", and secondly, the media IS left wing biased, and I am happy to to have them on our side

[sharkman]

Thank you for that. Finally someone from the left is willing to admit that the media is not objective, but left wing biased.

I agree with much of your comments, and let's face it, Obama is going to be able to put whomever he chooses on the bench. I just hope that Americans will start to see that his changes of the landscape are going ahead full steam, and are adding trillions to the debt load. This actually makes Bush look like a penny pincher. So when the mid term elections come around, I'm hoping for some balance.

Edited June 1, 2009 by sharkman

[benny]

I 100% agree with his assertation.

This assertion (spin) is absurd since the existence of facts and awareness to facts are possible only through social experiences and never through purely personal ones.

[GTL]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

She was first appointed by Bush Sr. so I wonder if that will weigh on some of the current Republicans in the Senate.

Sotomayor is basically a shoo-in.

®'s have kicked up a stink about her being a racist, which is pretty ridiculous. The only thing they can come up with is a part of one of her speeches that has been removed and blown totally out of context.

The saddest part is that important federal judicial cases are going to have to be put off simply because the Republican's will oppose the appointment of a liberal judge, regardless of the fact she is clearly qualified for the position. Obama is likely to get at least one more Supreme Court nomination during his presidency, most of the next decade is going to be incredibly interesting for gay marriage, abortion and other highly contentious issues.

[stevoh]

This assertion (spin) is absurd since the existence of facts and awareness to facts are possible only through social experiences and never through purely personal ones.

Well, glad to know you know more about what she meant than she herself does!