Who is Sonia Sotomayar?

Is She Catholic?


Here is Catholic League President Bill Donohue's reaction Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court:

When John Roberts was nominated to be on the high court, Senator Dick Durbin told CNN that he considered it fair game to probe Roberts about his Catholicism. Durbin released a glowing statement yesterday on Sotomayor that never mentioned her religion. When Roberts was questioned by Senator Arlen Specter and Senator Dianne Feinstein, they both asked him whether he agreed with President John F. Kennedy about separation of church and state. Neither even mentioned Sotomayor’s religion in their respective statements yesterday.

When Roberts was nominated, Dahlia Lithwick, legal analyst for Slate, said, “I wouldn’t underestimate the influence of his religion”; when Samuel Alito was nominated, Lithwick said that “People are very, very much talking about the fact that Alito would be the fifth Catholic on the Supreme Court if confirmed.” Yesterday, Lithwick posted a lengthy piece on Sotomayor that never mentioned her religion. When Roberts was nominated, NPR’s Nina Totenberg said that his wife was “a high officer of a pro-life organization. He’s got adopted children. I mean, he’s a conservative Catholic.” Yesterday, she simply mentioned that Sotomayor attended Catholic schools without ever raising it as an issue. When Roberts was nominated, journalist Adele Stan noted his religion and said, “Rome must be smiling.” Yesterday, in her positive assessment of Sotomayor, she never mentioned her religion.

What’s going on? Are liberal Catholics Catholic? Obviously not, at least according to liberals. After all, if Sotomayor were known as a practicing Catholic, those who fretted over Roberts and Alito would have called 911 by now. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, however, put their worst fears to rest yesterday when he said of the Puerto Rican jurist, “I believe she was raised Catholic.” If this is true, then the telling verb “raised” would explain why liberals like Sotomayor—she’s one of those Catholics they can trust. Let’s hope they’re wrong.

Is She Pro-life ? What are our pro-life leaders saying about her?

Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser has this to say about Sontomayor:

“Women are best protected by the rule of law – and blind justice. Their rights are most endangered when personal preference, ideology or painful personal history inform judgment. Susan B. Anthony and her early feminist compatriots fought for a human rights standard sustained only through blind justice. When evidence of personal preference appears in any Supreme Court nominee’s judgment, it should give all women pause. Given what we know about Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s own judicial philosophy – including her support of policymaking from the bench – Americans should be concerned about the role of personal preference in her overall judicial philosophy.

When it comes to protecting all human life, one group is never served by undermining the rights of another. Women will never be served by ignoring the rights of unborn children. Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s record of support for judicial activism offers little comfort that she will be a friend to the unborn on the Supreme Court. As the Senate fulfills its Constitutional role to ‘advise and consent,’ Senators should ask the hard questions to thoroughly assess Sotomayor’s judicial temperament, and reaffirm the authentic feminist standard of blind justice for all.”

In a 2002 speech at Berkeley, Judge Sotomayor stated that she believes it is appropriate for a judge to consider their “experiences as women and people of color,” which she believes should “affect our decisions.” She went on to say in that same speech “I would hope that 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.” She reiterated her commitment to that lawless judicial philosophy at Duke Law School in 2005 when she stated that the “Court of Appeals is where policy is made.”

Jill Stanek has this to say: "I have no doubt Sotomayor is a Roe v. Wade-loving pro-abort through and through."

Fr. Frank Pavone comments: “The fact that we know little of Judge Sotomayor’s positions on abortion means we need to find out soon. There are enough people in government, including the President, who are all too willing to let this holocaust continue. It’s time to put more people in government who will work to see this holocaust end.”

Fr. Victor Salomon, Director of Hispanic Outreach for Priests for Life, has said that the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor does not merit automatic support from Latinos; rather, Latinos and all Americans should carefully scrutinize her views on abortion.

“What would be the value of having a Latina Supreme Court justice who wants to uphold rulings that have taken the lives of millions of Latino children?” asked Fr. Salomón. “My fear is that this nomination may be great news to those who think it’s OK to abort babies at any time for any reason, but not for those of us who want to share the positive values of Latino culture.”

What are other Catholics saying?

Amy Proctor describes Sonia Sotomayer as: "A racist judge who legislates her version of morality from the bench."

Amy describes other problems with Sotomayer as: voting for racism, having a poor temperment ( inability to produce intelligent counterarguments) and a lack of command of legal details. Amy also links to problematic rulings.

Paul at Thoughts of a Regular Guy: "She supports racial discrimination against whites. Too, she's been described as a "bully" (anyone remember John Bolton's treatment?), and she thinks that the courts are where policy is made. She is clearly unsuited to be a judge in any court, and especially the Supreme Court."

Who has endorsed her?

We know that Planned Parenthood and NOW have both endorsed her. Dissident Catholic and rejected Obama candidate for Vatican ambassador Douglas Kmiec seems to like the Sotomayor pick.

Evan Wolfson, head of the National Freedom to Marry Organization comments: "In choosing Judge Sotomayor, the first Latino candidate for the Supreme Court, President Obama has made a strong and appealing nomination that should and will receive the support of those committed to equality for lesbians and gay men."

Based on the above information, I cannot support Sonia Sotomayar. Yes, Obama could have selected someone worse than her, but should we support her based on that information? Should we settle for less? I don't think so. The individual who is selected for a position on the Supreme Court should have impeccable credentials and Sonio Sotomayar is a far cry from that description.

MORE INFORMATION

Sonia Sotomayor 'La Raza Member'

Sotomayor:Fish Must Be Protected from Power Plants Regardless of Cost-Benefit

87% Expect Sotomayor Will Be Confirmed. 45% Say She Should Be

Interest groups already engaged in nominee battle

Sotomayar Ugly

Abortion Rights Groups Wary About Sonia Sotomayer's Views on Abortion


Obama Nominee to the Supreme Court: "A Latino Woman Judge is Better Than a White Male Judge

Battle Over Sotomayer Heats up

Comments

  1. Thanks for the link! You've put me in proud company.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Why am I against Sonia Sotomayer?

    1. She is racist.
    2. 60% of the cases she heard have been overturned by the Supreme Court. (She is not qualified!)
    3. She believes it is OK to legislate from the bench (her statement).
    4. She is very biased.
    5. PP and NOW endorse her.
    6. The white house squatter likes her.

    ReplyDelete

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