Fighting the Good Fight

Judge Sotomayor will be beginning her meetings with members of the senate today. The GOP needs to decide how they are going to handle this nomination. One choice is to make it as ugly as possible. She can be bloodied, embarrassed, and humiliated not unlike what was done to Bork or Alito. The other choice is to bow their heads and accept the inevitable and vote to confirm. I think an argument should be made for the middle of the road. The American people deserve a fair process that allows us to see if the person is qualified or not qualified.

Some very serious issues have been raised about the qualifications of the judge. These issues must be examined. The comment she made about a Latina woman making a better judgment than a white man cannot be ignored. It would not be if a white man had said it. So, we are doing no favors to race relations in this country unless this question is asked. Everyone must be judged the same for us to truly have equality for all. Another issue that has come up is her judicial temperament. Again, this is a very important issue. This is a lifetime appointment and she must be up to the task. The issue of her opinions being overturned is another important topic that will need to be examined. Especially since in one case the court said that her use of the law was incorrect. If her understanding of the law is not up to par, she must not be given an appointment to seat that effects us all.

This is a fight that the GOP will have a difficult time winning. That alone is not a good enough reason not to fight it. When Sam Alito was up for nomination the democrats had about the same chance of stopping the appointment and they chose not only to fight, but to fight dirty. I think this is a golden opportunity for the GOP to take a stand and show the country how the nomination process should be conducted. Ask the difficult and uncomfortable questions, let the country hear the answers and if the answers show that she cannot handle the position, then vote no. We have lost some very good jurists due to the process that the senate has chosen to employ. I think it is time that senate do the job, advise and consent. Not tear apart, embarrass, or worse yet just delay until the person is no longer willing to wait around. Just ask Miquel Estrada.