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July 14, 2009 4:32 PM

Republicans Aren't Sold on "Wise Latina" Explanation

Posted by Andrew Cohen
(AP)
The best exchange of the day occurred between Senator Kyl and the judge in talking about his concerns about her Wise Latina comment. Remember, he’s a Senator from Arizona with a large Hispanic population and I think he got about the best explanation we can hope to expect from her about why she said what she said.

It’s clear that the Republican members aren’t sold on the nominee’s explanation of her now famous “Wise Latina” comment—you can hear the skepticism in their voices and see it in her faces. But she has kept to her story—which is that she was encouraging young lawyers to be proud of their heritage but wasn’t telling them to put background above impartiality.

The judge repeatedly refused to answer any of Senator Feingold’s questions about terror law issues and he accepted her demurrals over and over again. He took a very different stance when he got similar answers from Republican nominees Roberts and Alito. Then it was GOP Senators who politely accepted non-answers as answers from nominees.

Sotomayor Explains "Wise Latina" Comment

Sotomayor: Abortion Law Is "Settled"

Sotomayor Treads Lightly On Gun Issue

click here to watch a live vide feed and analysis of Sotomayor's hearing.


(CBS)
Andrew Cohen is CBS News' Chief Legal Analyst and Legal Editor. CourtWatch is his new blog with analysis and commentary on breaking legal news and events. For columns on legal issues before the beginning of this blog, click here. You can also follow him on Twitter.
Tags:
Sonia Sotomayor ,
Supreme Court ,
Confirmation Hearings
Topics:
Sonia Sotomayor
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Add a Comment See all 24 Comments
by noloyalisti July 16, 2009 1:30 AM EDT
That's a great point: does anyone really care what a bunch of ignorant racist, corporation loving Republi CONS think. They were wrong about EVERYTHING. They supported torture, spying, illegal invasions for our corporations and corporate welfare for the rich.

They could care a rat's behind about anyone but their own greedy selves. This is an obsolete party who should NEVER have any power again. They are even worse than corporate Democrats.
Reply to this comment
by actornaught July 15, 2009 12:23 PM EDT
Sessions is totally out of place. He's almost completely scripted, not listening to any of the thoughtful answers, but plowing ahead and playing to his KKKonstituents.

How this misanthrope ever got to such a position in congress is a huge disappointment in the southern voter.
Reply to this comment
by gravyboat4000 July 15, 2009 10:52 AM EDT
"Republicans Aren't Sold on "Wise Latina" Explanation"

The wheels on the bus go round and round...
Reply to this comment
by mec6951 July 15, 2009 7:39 AM EDT
What a bunch of BS by the Republicans. Every person regardless of race, creed, education, etc. judges things that happen to them by their own personal life experiences. Do you really believe that the Supreme court justices we have now never take into account their own life experience when making their rulings? Of course they do, and so does everyone else. She has the credentials, confirm her and move on.
Reply to this comment
by missionmom1 July 15, 2009 7:14 AM EDT
Can't believe you would actually call people "retarded little chickens."
no matter how you feel about someone or a comment, you shouldn't use the word retarded. You're not in 7th grade anymore so stop acting like it.
Reply to this comment
by joetheplumer July 14, 2009 7:34 PM EDT
To me this is ridiculus. From her 18 years experience in law All the GOP got to talk about is the Wise latina. This demonstrate the level of sutpidity of these people.
Grow up people.
Reply to this comment
by hungry1968-16 July 14, 2009 7:15 PM EDT
by jgg00000008 July 14, 2009 7:12 PM EDT
sotomayor would swear she was a swedish bikini model if she thought it would get her nominated






Rush could convince you that you're a Swedish bikini model, by just broadcasting it on his show.
Reply to this comment
by hungry1968-16 July 14, 2009 7:04 PM EDT
by Mr-Man_007 July 14, 2009 6:34 PM EDT
Sotomayor said she thinks the 2nd amendment is not a fundamental rigth.






It's NOT a "fundamental right". Being an American citizen DOES NOT give you the automatic privilege to own a weapon.
Reply to this comment
by actornaught July 15, 2009 12:30 PM EDT
A "fundamental right" simply means that the states can deal with in a manner that's suitable. If you're not on board with States Rights, than i suppose you could have a problem with that. Otherwise, and more likely, you're just a troublemaker.
by actornaught July 15, 2009 12:32 PM EDT
Oops, i mean when it's NOT a "fundamental right", the states can manipulate it, within some bounds.

sorry about that, chief...
by GovernmentControl July 14, 2009 7:03 PM EDT
When will the obama/media complex stop functioning as a propaganda mouthpiece for sotomayors nomination?
Reply to this comment
by gravyboat4000 July 14, 2009 7:20 PM EDT
Rush Limbaugh groupie.
by thusspokezara July 14, 2009 6:56 PM EDT
"Socrates was ugly"-Nietzsche
"Sotomayor is ugly"-Sara

That explains it all. Let's move on.
Reply to this comment
by lovegetpeace July 14, 2009 6:39 PM EDT
In Nov 2004, 45% of Hispanics voted for Republican Bush. In early 2007, there were a lot of Anti-Immigration feelings from the Republicans. In Nov 2008, 31% of Hispanics voted for Republican McCain. In Political math, this is a Tsunami change.

I love the fact that Republicans are not happy with Sotomayor answers today. This means Republicans will keep on pressing on the negatives of Sotomayor. It can only help the Democratic Party in 2010 and 2012. Gracias for making my wishes come true.
Reply to this comment
by bradkt1 July 14, 2009 6:22 PM EDT
This is a pretext for the GOP senators to hide behind...that's all this is. Even if Judge Sontamayor hadn't made this statement, they would still be against her because she is not a conservative.
Reply to this comment
by cs4466 July 14, 2009 6:19 PM EDT
'Republicans Aren't Sold on "Wise Latina" Explanation'

Who cares?

Welcome Judge Sotomayor!!
Reply to this comment
by GovernmentControl July 14, 2009 6:12 PM EDT
Sotomayor wouldnt have incriminated herself as a racist if she was really "wise" like she believes.
Reply to this comment
by fred-mertz July 14, 2009 7:55 PM EDT
If you ever actually read what she said, you'd see that she did NOT "incriminate herself". The one sentence that you imbeciles can't seem to understand was:

"I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion [as a judge] than a white male who hasn't lived that life." ? Judge Sonia Sotomayor, in her Judge Mario G. Olmos Law and Cultural Diversity Lecture at the University of California (Berkeley) School of Law in 2001

1. She started with "I would HOPE that..." which means she is NOT asserting it as definitely true, but only something she HOPES is true.

2. She was talking about cultural diversity being an ASSET, just like current Republican Supreme Court Judge Alito said his ethic background and status as the son of immigrants affected his judgement!

3. She was NOT necessarily talking about herself specifically. She was speaking to a group of latino law students, encouraging them to use their experience to help them make wise decisions.

4. She had been asked a question about deciding discrimination cases.

5. Her hope was that their experience would lead them to make better decisions than someone who hasn't had similar experiences ("a white male") -- "more often than not". Is that too scary for you imbeciles? That someone who has experience with discrimination could better understand what's involved in a discrimination case than someone who has no related experience, at least 51% of the time? God, what retarded little chickens you are!

6. And finally, this was JUST ONE SENTENCE in her talk, and if you read the whole speech, you'd see that her main point was that judges have to rule based on the law, not based on their own likes and dislikes. So, this whole uproar from the GOP is BASELESS and stupid.

And she is going to be confirmed whether you imbeciles like it or not, so why not move on to something else?
by ubrew12 July 14, 2009 5:37 PM EDT
'Republicans Aren't Sold on "Wise Latina" Explanation'

Probably because they're stupid white men
Reply to this comment
by IThoughtItWasFunnyNOPE July 14, 2009 6:26 PM EDT
Sotomayor is nothing but a lying POS...and you can't believe a freaking word she's saying trying to save her sorry racist overbloated ego!

The stupid woman says she's PROUD of being handed everything from her living morst of her life, her higher education gifted to her, and every position she's had....on the affirmative action plan....while others more qualified with better grades had to stand in line and wait because of her racist behind to get everything for free....
by fred-mertz July 14, 2009 7:28 PM EDT
Blah, blah, blah... by IThoughtItWasFunnyNOPE, July 14, 2009 6:26 PM EDT

You have GOT TO BE just about the stupidest person to ever post here. You have absolutely NO EVIDENCE to prove that Judge Sotomayor is a "lying POS", nor is there any indication in her words or demeanor that she has a "racist overbloated ego". Rush Limpboogers spews those kind of lies daily, on his "entertainment program". But we are NOT interested in having his lies repeated here, ad nauseum, by lunatic repukes who can do nothing more than regurgitate those fabrications.

You think Judge Sotomayor is "stupid"? Sotomayor graduated with an A.B., summa *** laude!, from Princeton University in 1976. Stupid people CAN'T DO THAT! She got her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979, where she was an editor at the Yale Law Journal. Stupid people CAN'T DO THAT! She worked as an Assistant District Attorney in New York for five years before entering private practice in 1984. Stupid people CAN'T DO THAT! Sotomayor was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by REPUBLICAN President George H. W. Bush in 1991 and confirmed by REPUBLICANS in 1992. Well, maybe the repukes WERE the stupid ones, because NOW they seem to think they made a mistake! In 1997, she was nominated by President Clinton to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She was eventually confirmed (again, by lots of republicans!) in 1998. On the Second Circuit, Sotomayor has heard appeals in more than 3,000 cases, and has written about 380 opinions. Stupid people CAN'T DO THAT! Sotomayor has also taught at the New York University School of Law and Columbia Law School. Stupid people CAN'T DO THAT!

YOU, OTOH, Mr. IThoughtItWasFunnyNOPE, mindlessly parrot the talking points you heard that racist mysogynist, Rushed Limpboogers, spew on the radio. NOW, THAT'S SOMETHING STUPID PEOPLE REALLY CAN DO!!! Hooray for you -- NOT!
by realityzone July 14, 2009 7:31 PM EDT
Agreed, republicans are dumb. Period.
by fred-mertz July 14, 2009 7:34 PM EDT
addendum for dummies:

summa /c-u.m/ laude (without the extra punctuation) is censored by CBS' automatic censor program. It means, "With highest praise". It is an honor added to diplomas and degrees for work that is considered to be of the highest quality. No doubt this will come as a surprise to you, but stupid people DON'T GET THAT ADDED TO THEIR DIPLOMAS!
by GiveMeFreedom July 14, 2009 10:39 PM EDT
ybrew - yes all stupid white men. Hey ubrew, how about naming the countries in the world worth living in today. Any chance about 85% of them have been historically governed by white men?

Here is my list - USA, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland (love the taxes there), Austria, Holland, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Japan, Singapore.

Yep, lots of latino nations on this list. How about your list?
See all 24 Comments

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