Jeffrey Rosen of The New Republic asks around about the
Second Circuit judge, often mentioned as a potential Supreme
Court nominee, and
doesn’t like what he hears:
But despite the praise from some of her former clerks, and warm
words from some of her Second Circuit colleagues, there are
also many reservations about Sotomayor. Over the past few
weeks, I’ve been talking to a range of people who have worked
with her, nearly all of them former law clerks for other judges
on the Second Circuit or former federal prosecutors in New
York. Most are Democrats and all of them want President Obama
to appoint a judicial star of the highest intellectual caliber
who has the potential to change the direction of the court.
Nearly all of them acknowledged that Sotomayor is a presumptive
front-runner, but nearly none of them raved about her. They
expressed questions about her temperament, her judicial
craftsmanship, and most of all, her ability to provide an
intellectual counterweight to the conservative justices, as
well as a clear liberal alternative.
The most consistent concern was that Sotomayor, although an
able lawyer, was “not that smart and kind of a bully on the
bench,” as one former Second Circuit clerk for another judge
put it. “She has an inflated opinion of herself, and is
domineering during oral arguments, but her questions aren’t
penetrating and don’t get to the heart of the issue.”
Sounds like a jurist we could spend decades hating — or laughing
at.
Pingback| 5.4.09 @ 9:40AM
The (Liberal) Case Against Sonia Sotomayor | But As For Me links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
R. Dittmar| 5.4.09 @ 11:15AM
or laughing at.
Let's not be downplayin' that. Sometimes it's all we have to look forward to.
Bob| 5.4.09 @ 12:44PM
If this is true, then she is the liberal version of Thomas. Obama needs a liberal version of Roberts or Scalia. Again, if this is true then the primary reason she would be chosen is that she is a woman and Hispanic. Also, if it is true, my bet is that Obama will not pick her. The smartest one in the group is supposedly Kagan. It will be interesting to watch this.
Crusader| 5.7.09 @ 10:01AM
Yes but can she EMPATHIZE with a miority. That's the litmus test.
Dan1967| 5.8.09 @ 5:01PM
I am hoping that President Obama chooses a true liberal for the U.S. Supreme Court, similiar to John Paul Stevens, Justice Breyer, and Justice Ginsberg. In the term "liberal" I mean a Judge who sides with the rights of our individual freedoms such as our first amendment rights to free speech, our 4th amendment rights to privacy, and our 14th amendment rights as well as civil rights.
The conservatives almost never side with our individual freedoms and rights to privacy, and they usually rule against civil rights.
After reading about Justice Sotomayer I believe that there are better alternatives to her. In particular, her views on our rights to privacy concern me.
President Obama needs to nominate a rock-solid individual freedom fighting Liberal Justice for the United States Supreme Court.
George & Carolyn| 5.26.09 @ 9:43AM
George H.W. had to have been the WORST at picking judges. Why oh why did he put this racist bully on the bench in the first place?
Pingback| 5.28.09 @ 7:57AM
Sonia Souter Left | America Watches Obama links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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