Senate confirms Sotomayor for U.S. Supreme Court

Friday 07th August, 06:55 AM JST

WASHINGTON —

The Senate confirmed Sonia Sotomayor Thursday as the first Hispanic justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

The vote was 68-31 for Sotomayor, President Barack Obama’s first high court nominee. She becomes the 111th justice and just the third woman to serve.

Democrats praised the 55-year-old Sotomayor as a mainstream moderate. But most Republicans voted against her, saying she’d bring personal bias and a liberal agenda to the bench.

Senators took the rare step of assembling at their desks on the Senate floor for the historic occasion, rising from their seats to cast their votes.

She replaces retiring Justice David Souter, a liberal named by a Republican president, and she is not expected to alter the court’s ideological split.

Still, Republicans and Democrats were deeply at odds over confirming Sotomayor, and the battle over her nomination highlighted profound philosophical disagreements that will shape future battles over the court’s makeup as Obama looks to another likely vacancy—perhaps more than one—while he’s in the White House.

The Republicans decried Obama’s call for “empathy” in a justice, painting Sotomayor as the embodiment of an inappropriate standard that would let a judge bring her personal whims and prejudices to the bench.

Her writings and speeches “reflect a belief not just that impartiality is not possible, but that it’s not even worth the effort,” said Sen Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority leader. “In Judge Sotomayor’s court, groups that didn’t make the cut of preferred groups often found that they ended up on the short end of the empathy standard.”

Democrats, for their part, hailed the vote as a breakthrough achievement for the country, on par with enactment of civil rights laws. They warned Republicans they risked a backlash from Hispanic voters in the short term and an enduring black mark on their party in history books by opposing Sotomayor’s confirmation.

“History awaits, and so does an anxious Hispanic community in this country,” said Sen Robert Menendez, the Senate’s lone Hispanic Democrat and the head of his party’s campaign arm, just minutes before the vote. “When she places her hand on the Bible and takes the oath of office, the new portrait of the justices of the Supreme Court will clearly reflect who we are as a nation, what we stand for as a fair, just and hopeful people.”

Sotomayor will be sworn in Saturday by Chief Justice John Roberts.

The Senate chamber was heavy with history as senators cast their votes in turn. Sen Robert Byrd, 91, a Democrat and the longest-serving senator who has been in frail health following a long hospitalization for infections earlier this year, was brought in in a wheelchair when it was his turn, making just his second return to the Senate since his release in June to cast his vote for Sotomayor.

In the final tally, just nine Republicans joined majority Democrats and the Senate’s two independents to support Sotomayor’s confirmation.

All of them said they might disagree with some of her rulings, statements or views, but that she was well-qualified to serve on the nation’s highest court.

“Judge Sotomayor’s decisions, while not always the decision I would render, are not outside the legal mainstream and do not indicate an obvious desire to legislate from the bench,” said Sen George Voinovich, the last Republican to come out in favor of Sotomayor, just hours before the vote.

Like Democrats, many of them called Sotomayor’s background inspirational. The daughter of Puerto Rican parents, she was raised in a South Bronx housing project, then educated in the Ivy League before rising to the highest legal echelons.

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Latest 15 of 30 Total Comments Show All

smithinjapan at 06:26 PM JST - 7th August

Alphaape: I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just saying I think you read too much into patawan's comment.

skipthesong: "I think people like really underestimate us. Do you really think the Dems won us all over because of Sotomayor? And we are going to throw support to those repubs who voted for her 100%? Only a white guy could think of something so stupid."

I don't think you can really try to make an objective post with the lead-in line you wrote, and certainly not with the note you ended on. You can get your point across just fine without resorting the mentality you purport to be against in your post.
smithinjapan at 06:26 PM JST - 7th August

Sorry, "pawatan's" comment. My bad.
skipthesong at 06:28 PM JST - 7th August

GJ: Look, all I am saying is that I am not easily sold just because someone like me gets a posisition, regardless how high. I felt the same way with Alberto under Bush. The Dems didn't win any points with by this and the repubs didn't lose any points with me either. I don't know what to consider myself, I'm left, right, center, up and down. conserv on some matters, lib on others and I think, at least I like to believe, many if not the majority, are more or less like me.

I will say one thing that I did gain a bit of respect for the repubs and not bending for political points. I really hate when politicians do that. now, would those same repub who didn't vote for her swing for votes? I am sure they would and they in turn lose my respect.

I just hope the bench can be balanced. I don't like it going all the way in either direction.

There is a young guy here, Puerto Rican. He comes up to me today and says "hey, they put one of us up there". Ok, I'm glad here's happy, but I don't consider anyone to be one of my own just because they resemble me in looks.
Sarge at 09:28 PM JST - 7th August

"I wonder how many Hispanics just became lifelong, Democratic party voters because of those 31 ( Republican ) votes ( against her )"

They were already Democratic Party voters. No loss there.
JoeBigs at 10:06 PM JST - 7th August

Sarge at 09:28 PM JST - 7th August "I wonder how many Hispanics just became lifelong, Democratic party voters because of those 31 ( Republican ) votes ( against her )" They were already Democratic Party voters. No loss there.

Very good point Sarge, my parents are die hard Republicans. The placement of a Hispanic to the courts will not sway them to become Democrats.

As I stated before, as for me, I will not join the Democratic party just because of this reason. Neither would I have joined the Republican party if she were a Conservative.

How many African Americans joined the Republican party when Justice Thomas got the post? Not many at all.......
Alphaape at 11:52 PM JST - 7th August

How many African Americans joined the Republican party when Justice Thomas got the post? Not many at all.......

JoeBigsgs, not many switched to the Republican party when Gen Powell was selected as Ambassador either. As a Black man, I try not to vote or follow someone just because they look like me. I actually think that it is sort of condecending when the left leaning press says that those Rep. who did not vote for her will loose the Hispanic vote. Just because we may all look alike to them, does not mean we all think alike.

I have to look up the records of those who did not vote for her. I am sure that there are some things they stand for that I am not in agreement with, but I do have to give them credit for standing their ground.

I am not too thrilled with her selection, not becuase of her race but to be honest I don't know much about where she stands other than soundbites from both sides. I honestly wish that during the confirmation hearings more would have been brought out about her rulings and her interpretations, not only from the Rep side but for those Dems who probably were against her too. I would have had much more respect for the system if that would have happened, but I guess as the earlier poster said, I am just living in a too idealistic dream.
Triumvere at 12:10 AM JST - 8th August

Congratulations to Justice Sotomayor. I'm not entirely sure that she'll make a good justice, though I do hope her opponents won't spend the next decade intentionally mis-pronouncing her name.
adaydream at 12:11 AM JST - 8th August

Sotomayor got what she deserved, even if the GOP squawks and gripes. It's just wonderful in one swoop action by the GOP the Democratic just got an influx of new voters. < :-)
Sarge at 12:15 AM JST - 8th August

How do you pronounce her name, anyway? Is it soto-may-yer, or soto-mah-your, or what?
adaydream at 12:18 AM JST - 8th August

Sarge if you'll check with one of the new democrats, they'll pronounce it correct for you. < :-)
Sarge at 12:20 AM JST - 8th August

That's OK, I know it's pronounced soto-mah-your.
Wolfpack at 06:38 AM JST - 8th August

About as many Hispanics will now become Democrats because of the votes against Sotomayor as had become Republicans because of the votes against Miguel Estrada. Those that believe in freedom and the rights of individuals and those with a collectivist / statist philosophy will not likely change their voting patterns based on the placement of a racially biased judge on the Supreme Court by a racially biased and increasingly polarizing President.
skipthesong at 11:50 AM JST - 8th August

damn smith, are you having a take a swipe at skip day again?

sarge: I did not like your statement. You just blanketed us. Are you suggesting we can think individually? Its statements like yours that send chills up my spine. Let me ask you this, if I or JB were in your presence, would you be able to pick us out? You do know that we too come in many different shades.
hworta269 at 01:38 PM JST - 8th August

how many white people in America get put in to these positions saying racist crap throughout their career?
lostrune2 at 01:42 PM JST - 8th August

Eh, assuming Sotomayor stays liberal, it'll just be same-old same-old:

"She replaces retiring Justice David Souter, a liberal named by a Republican president, and she is not expected to alter the court’s ideological split." -- AP