Political Hotsheet
By

Daniel Carty /

CBS News/ May 27, 2009, 7:45 AM

Former Clerk: Sotomayor's A "Legal Purist"

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
A former law clerk for newly announced Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor defended her old boss against criticism that she's judicially biased, calling her a "legal purist."

Julia Tarver Mason, who spent a year clerking for Sotomayor when she was a federal judge, told CBS' The Early Show Wednesday that Sotomayor "is not someone who is going to try to reach a particular result in a particular case. She calls them straight down the middle, just like she sees them."

Republicans have voiced early criticism of President Barack Obama's selection to replace Justice David Souter, with some questioning whether she lets personal feelings and politics overshadow the law in her decisions.

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh went so far as to call Sotomayor a "reverse racist" for her decision ruling against mainly white firefighters who had filed a reverse discrimination suit against New Haven, Conn.

(CBS)
"That's an absurd notion," Mason said "Judge Sotomayor is one of the most egalitarian people I have ever met. She treats people equally, no matter their background or ethnicity. I think the … fact that people from the right are throwing these outrageous allegations right now is just an indication that they don't know much about her record."

Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez also asked Mason about a speech Sotomayor made at the University of California at Berkeley in 2001, during which she said "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

Mason defended the comments, saying they referred to diversity on the court. "Diversity of life experience and perspective is very important and few of us would argue with that.

"I think what she was trying to convey in that comment was that we all bring our life experiences with us, but when she decides a case, she decides it based on the law, as that's appropriate."



Sonia Sotomayor: More Coverage And Analysis




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antoniof123 says:
Rush Limbaugh went so far as to call Sotomayor a "reverse racist"

Coming for Rush this is about as moronic as it comes this man is the bigest racist and biggot I have ever seen.

Looks like the Repubicans made a wise chose in choosing him as their leader.

LOL.....
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dbaecht says:
What i find funny is, the republicans and right wingers all talk about how bad, liberals are. I have news for them if it wasn't for a bunch of liberal thinking founding fathers, we would still be a english colony.
The Constititution, Declaration of Independance and the Bill of Rights arer about as liberal a set of documents as you will fins anywhere. Think about it, "For the people, of the people, by the people" liberal concept, "all men are created equal" liberal concept", freedom of religion", liberal, you get the idea.
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mattcat25 says:
UperDown!
UperDown!
UperDown!
UperDown!
UperDown!
UperDown!
UperDown!
UperDown!
UperDown!
UperDown!
UperDown!
UperDown!
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onesword says:
Why is becoming a habit that the Republicans hear or know things before the other parties or anyone for that matter? Are they adding a little yeast into their "suppose to happen" or "would happen" or "did happen" stories?
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tokyo2nite says:
gdw666: " A purist who has had 3 (of the 6 cases taken to the Supreme Court) reversed."

Gee, gdw, it sure sounds scary. Tell me just what it means, and exactly what those three cases were, and why and under what circumstances they were reversed, why that's bad, and what the same ratio of similar reversals is for other appeals judges. Admit it: you're just repeating meaningless tripe you heard on Rush.
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dragoneagle1 says:
Judge Sotomayor was a brilliant pick.
Rush Limbaugh is quickly becoming a "Non-Issue".
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gravyboat69 says:
Was very dissapointed with the fire fighter case as well as her laughing about the appeals court does make law. in my opinion or understanding the courts are to be blind and weighing the case based on laws. period.... not based on personal feelings, background, experiences. i dont want a personal opinion, i want someone that will read and enforce law.
Posted by wtcmedic911

Please explain to all of us the case involving the firemen.
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hwy71so says:
"""That's an absurd notion," Mason said "Judge Sotomayor is one of the most egalitarian people I have ever met. She treats people equally, no matter their background or ethnicity. """

Then explain the deal about the firemen (including a latino man).

Or the comment where she said a latina woman is more qualified than a white man to judge law...
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wtcmedic911 says:
Was very dissapointed with the fire fighter case as well as her laughing about the appeals court does make law. in my opinion or understanding the courts are to be blind and weighing the case based on laws. period.... not based on personal feelings, background, experiences. i dont want a personal opinion, i want someone that will read and enforce law.
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gdw666 says:
A 'purist' that believes that policy is set at the appellate courts and not as intended by the legislature.

A purist that believes that "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life," . (Funny, I always thought the law was not supposed to consider such.)

A purist that helped toss out the reults of the New Haven fire department exams by not addressing the issue when it came before her.

A purist who has had 3 (of the 6 cases taken to the Supreme Court) reversed.
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