July 13, 2009 7:15 AM

Sessions: Sotomayor's Liberal Activism "Will Flower"

By
Sean Alfano
Topics
Sonia Sotomayor
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
If appointed to the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor's "liberal activist" judicial philosophy will flourish, according to the Senate's ranking Republican on the Judicial Committee.

Just hours before confirmation hearings commence, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions reiterated his wariness of the judge on CBS' "The Early Show," referring to speeches Sotomayor has made in the past.

While admitting that Sotomayor's record as a judge in lower courts "is better than her speeches," Sessions said her liberal philosophy "will flower" if she joins the Supreme Court and called her approach "outside the mainstream."

Senate Democrat Charles Schumer, also on the Judicary Committee, rebutted Sessions' claim on MSNBC, saying of Sotomayor: "She's not far left. She's not far right. She's mainstream."


Sunday, on "Face The Nation," Sessions said Sotomayor has "criticized the idea that a woman and a man would reach the same result," which he called "philosophically incompatible with the American system."

Despite some Republican opposition, Sotomayor's hearing is widely considered to be a mere formality. Asked if the hearings instead will serve as a chance for Republicans to distinguish themselves politically, Sessions admitted, "there is some truth to that."

Editor's Note: On Monday, visit our CourtWatch blog to watch live video of Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings, plus running commentary from CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen via Twitter.

Add a Comment
by beaumuff July 13, 2009 11:35 AM EDT
She has to much bagage Obama. Now just bite your lip like you did with your administration picks of tax crooks and say I messes up again and have shown poor judgement AGAIN.
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by babooph July 13, 2009 10:55 AM EDT
I guess if Sessions does not filibuster ,he must want this "flowering"?
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by irishpat183 July 13, 2009 9:31 AM EDT
It goes back to the point of, if it were a white woman up for the nomination and she made those comments, she'd be out in a minute. Those kind of comments that she's made alone should eliminate her. Ruling on the basis that you're "latina" is irresponsible and not worthy of a supreme court nomination. And anytime that a public figure claims they're "mainstream" or identify with the common person, is a liar. Only the naive buy into that.
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by South-of-Heaven July 13, 2009 8:51 AM EDT
Session's Conservative Activism is whats scarier.
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by picklepants7 July 13, 2009 8:35 AM EDT
why in the world would anyone appoint someone to the supreme court that looks like momar kadaffi? all that's missing is the general hat and sunglasses.
Reply to this comment
by picklepants7 July 13, 2009 10:19 AM EDT
well guess this shows that dumbacrates like you have no sense of humor. all i said was that she looks like kadaffi.
as for the name picklepants, just ask your mother, she knows all about it the pickle and loves it! very talented lady, she puts linda lovelace to shame. you should be very proud of her.
by picklepants7 July 13, 2009 6:25 PM EDT
hey rove lover,
you being a dimocrate, i'm suprised you have ever heard of a dictionary. with the language you're using, ("anal", and i don't know where you got this sean hannity gay stuff, that's just some thing i would expect from someone in a mental institute to say. way left field). you sound like a closet homosexual just not ready to *** out of you're closet. i know your mom is into anal. i guess it runs in the family. do me a favor and look up this compound word
"anal recptacle"....it's you!
and as for your feable attempt at humor, i read what you wrote, and unlike my joke, yours is way not funny. did you get a 3rd grader to come up with that joke, or are you a third grader? maybe it was al franken. not even a nice try, and definatly no cigar. one word discribes you "weak"!
oh and by the way, you should get on your knees and write a letter to rove and thank him for helping keep this country safe from attack. but i know you won't because liberalism is a mental disorder.
later swizzle stick.
by lloydbest1 July 13, 2009 8:06 AM EDT
"Sessions: Sotomayor's Liberal Activism "Will Flower""

No, probably not. Looking at her record, the best (or worst depending on your point of view) we'll get is a centrist that may - only "may" - lean a little leftward in decisions involving minority issues.
The Supreme Court is involved in legal issues ranging from discrimination rulings to police powers to land use to business dealings requiring a high degree of competency in many areas of law. Sotomayor has that much at least
Her past rulings indicate a candidate who has the same political leanings as the guy she's replacing. She's a moderate; certainly more "librul" than Scalia and Clarence Thomas but just as certainly NOT liberal in the Thurgood Marshall or William Brennan sense.
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