Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sonia Sotto Voce
So, the fact that Barack Obama's SCOTUS pick, Sonia Sotomayor, is a homegirl from around the Bronx-way is nice. That she helped re-start major league baseball after the disastrous 1994-95 strike is a non-ideological plus in her favor. (FWIW, I thought her Maurice Clarett/NFL ruling was way too much of a favor the labor unions and a failure to consider the rights of an individual who wasn't subject to the collective bargaining process.)
Her being a Latina (the first appointed to the Supreme Court) from a struggling background impresses me very little -- and I would love for all this bio stuff to be dropped. Is she smart and does she operate with something approaching common sense. After all, as George Will aptly put it this weekend, both the left and the right like judicial activism and "empathy" on cases -- if only the ruling is eventually in their favor (Will pointed out that the 2005 Kelo decision affirming the power of eminent domain -- which outraged conservatives -- was arguably an example of judicial restraint: The liberal cohort -- plus William Kennedy -- aceded to the power of the local legislative body, which conservatives usually argue for.)
Alas, the up-from-poverty/tough middle-class struggle is a bipartisan game now -- especially when the nominee is from a minority group -- or non-male (see a previous rant about this on the Republican side here.
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Her being a Latina (the first appointed to the Supreme Court) from a struggling background impresses me very little -- and I would love for all this bio stuff to be dropped. Is she smart and does she operate with something approaching common sense. After all, as George Will aptly put it this weekend, both the left and the right like judicial activism and "empathy" on cases -- if only the ruling is eventually in their favor (Will pointed out that the 2005 Kelo decision affirming the power of eminent domain -- which outraged conservatives -- was arguably an example of judicial restraint: The liberal cohort -- plus William Kennedy -- aceded to the power of the local legislative body, which conservatives usually argue for.)
Alas, the up-from-poverty/tough middle-class struggle is a bipartisan game now -- especially when the nominee is from a minority group -- or non-male (see a previous rant about this on the Republican side here.
Still it would be nice to hear the demographics stuff toned down and the jurisprudence issues be elevated. Yeah, I know.
Dream on.
Labels: Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court
