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Sotomayor Has Precious Little Liberal Cred

No way to know if would-be justice is a social progressive

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 10, 2009 11:57 AM CDT
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(Newser) – All the talk about race has obscured what, for liberals, ought to be the central question about Sonia Sotomayor: Is she progressive enough? There’s precious little evidence either way, writes Dayo Olopade of The Root. Sotomayor’s 2nd Circuit court leans conservative and handles mostly commercial cases; she’s never ruled on abortion, gay marriage, torture, executive power, or other issues liberals care about.

Sotomayor is often described as a “moderate.” In criminal cases, she typically sides with the government. EJ Dionne has called her “the most conservative choice that President Obama could have made,” and NARAL sent supporters a letter questioning her commitment to abortion rights and privacy. On the bright side, that nondescript record should make her easy to confirm, and she’s rumored to be the skilled behind-the-scenes operator liberals have long craved on the court.

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, center, walks on crutches on her way to a meeting on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Monday, June 8, 2009.
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, center, walks on crutches on her way to a meeting on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Monday, June 8, 2009.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor meets with Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 10, 2009.
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor meets with Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 10, 2009.   (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor meets with Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., not shown, Tuesday, June 9, 2009, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor meets with Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., not shown, Tuesday, June 9, 2009, on Capitol Hill in Washington.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor meets with Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., not shown, Tuesday, June 9, 2009, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor meets with Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., not shown, Tuesday, June 9, 2009, on Capitol Hill in Washington.   (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
JonmarkP
Jun 10, 2009 11:10 AM CDT
How does understanding the Constitution prevent her from understanding a little bit about good grooming?
dolcevita
Jun 10, 2009 5:55 AM CDT
i wish she'd go moderate on her eyebrows. i know she's busy and all but someone please show her how to shape them properly? i can't take anyone with badly shaped brows seriously! seriously.
JonmarkP
Jun 10, 2009 5:25 AM CDT
She votes for the rights of big corporations over the rights of consumers, so it's easy to see why President Wall Street selected her. Congress is run by corporations too, so she should sail through. We had a Constitutional Republic, and we booted it away during the Reagan years. It's a shame.

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