It is widely and understandably assumed that Sonia Sotomayor is
pro-abortion. But
Steven Waldman points out that we actually don't have much
evidence of her opinion:
After the announcement of Sonia Sotomayor's selection, abortion
groups lined up predictably, pro-life groups expressing outrage
and pro-choice offering praise. Everyone seems to be assuming
she's ardently pro-choice, if for no other reason than that
Obama's appointed her.
But there's stunningly little information about her abortion
views - and what we do know hardly paints her as a pro-choice
activist.
She's ruled on only three cases indirectly related to abortion
and in each case she took the position preferred by the
pro-life forces, albeit for reasons unrelated to the merits of
abortion.
The conventional wisdom probably is true. Still, one can
always hope (dream?) of a liberal appointee who turns out to be
unexpectedly sound on one of the worst constitutional decisions
ever.
About the Author
Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and the Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway).
