American Bar Association Praises Sotomayor

Unanimously Tabs Supreme Court Pick As "Well Qualified"; Highest Rating From Lawyer Group

(CBS/ AP)  The American Bar Association says Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is well qualified to serve on the high court.

The ABA committee that reviewed her qualifications came out with that unanimous rating of the federal appeals court judge. That finding is in a letter to White House lawyer Greg Craig that was released Tuesday.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to begin hearings on the nomination next week. Sotomayor is President Barack Obama's choice to replace retired Justice David Souter.

"You typically don’t get promoted though the federal courts unless you are indeed well qualified," CBS News chief legal analyst Andrew Cohen says.

"The Bush White House, remember, famously discarded the ABA recommendation system for federal judges but the Obama Administration has embraced the tradition and clearly officials are delighted that their Supreme Court nominee got very good grades. This only helps her chances of getting confirmed," Cohen adds.

The last time the ABA reviewed Sotomayor's qualifications, a majority on ABA panel rated her as well-qualified, but it was not unanimous.

[toldyouso29]

Praise of any sort from the ABA is suspicious unto itself. Does anyone know any lawyer or judge or court system that is not rife with lies, corruption and deceit? To get their praise means she could play the game--decent people would 'shudder' if they really knew what those games entailed and who all they hurt.

[ralpherus]

americanbar association (deliberately left out the space, so as not to confuse folks with my thinking they are actually AMERICANS) is a bunch of slimy greedy selfish evil pigs who love to twist the law and obfuscate things to their own skulduggerous advantage. They are the reason we have not had tort reform, and so medical bills are through the roof and in orbit. They are the reason we have cheap slime thieving fascist traitor murder pig democrats in control of the government, even though we are overwhelmingly by numbers CONSERVATIVE. Are you an American,or a democrat?

[gravyboat4000]

Ah yes, one of the brainwashed. You, most likely, have a ceramic bust of an eagle draped in the American flag in your living room. Right? Because ONLY you can be a REAL American, own the flag, the eagle, the military, and right. Right?

Goose stepping lemming.

[ralpherus]

Let's forget racist baiting stuff- there are those on both sides...because, human nature is human nature, and some folks find reasons in their heart for many things, good, bad, and unexplainable... What I want to read from someone, is their naming ONE PROBLEM our country has, that is not directly caused by democrats. Any creative writers out there care to try?

[nanc12]

Iraq

[gravyboat4000]

The economy

[frjim45]

I perceive that the ABA recommendation is discountable because of their record. We have a Eurosocialist President whose view of America
closely mirrors what the ABA has showhn to be theirs,and I think they
could be relied upon to support anyone Mr. Obama nominated. So, let's
leave that aside and go forward from there.

Judge Sotomayor can't be unintelligent, because she graduated law
school and serves on the Federal Bench. Her gifts may be limited,
but to accuse her of a lack of intelligence is like calling the
slowest player in the NFL "slow." You have to be fast simply to be there, even if you're the slowest guy on the team.

Her Honor is apparently a decent person with an active conscience, who
wants to use her power to help those she thinks "oppressed." This is
noble, but it isn't what judicial power is for. In fact, it is an
abuse of judicial power.

A judge's job is to apply existing law, not to write new law. Judge
Sotomayor seems to see her job not as an instrumentality of an
impoartial jnustice sysem but as a socioactive tool; and her power as
residing in herself, not as being derived from the basic law of the land.

Judges are accountable to no-one, and are in office for life. We
need servants of the law, not people who view themselves as its masters, if the system is not to break down.

Judge Sotomayor, not because of a lack of intelligence or sensitivity
but because of her demonstrated concept of how the office of judge
should be used, would be a force for the deterioration of the
Supreme Court of the United States.

Our country is in the worst condition has ever been in. We need
Supreme Curt justices who are sound, solid, and view themselves as
being under the law, not over it.

[joe1022joe]

From a political standpoint, The American Bar Association is a left wing institution. Of course it praises Sotomayor. The goal of the ABA is to install a left dominance on the US Supreme Court.

By the way, the ABA does not represent all attorneys, not even half of them. A good many of the ABA's members are not left wing, but belong to it only to use its resources in their law practices. But there is no doubt, the majority of the members of the ABA are left wing liberals.

[hungry1968-16]

What a crackpot comment.


"I don't like their UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION about Sotomayor, so I'm going to try and demonize them, by calling them a liberal, left wing organization."

I'm sure we'll all read later where Limabugh or O'Reilly said the exact same thing on their radio shows.

[gunownerdan]

Don't forget the SPLC. They also seem to be extremely left wing.

[hungry1968-16]

by ZedX-14Pilot July 7, 2009 10:48 AM PDT
Obviously 'nanc12', you, like all the other people who like to use racism, have no idea what the true meaning of the term is. That one line in my comment may be prejudice, but it sure isn't racist.







Laughable!!!

"I'm not racist, but my comments are."




ROFL!!!!

[jab232]

OK. Watch the GOP go after her. I watch all those old white men--Sessions, Graham and even party leaders like Limbaugh and Gingrich--go after her, and I am reminded again of how narrow the Republican Party is. Few minorities, few moderates and few women in real power. Even the Bar Association endorses her, but (on this issue and many others) the GOP doesn't know how to do anything but attack.

[specialty8]

This is just another great appointment by Obama and his good judgement. Geithner,better known as tax crook Turbo Timmy and the other four that resigned.

[ZedX-14Pilot]

This idiot has NO place in our highest court. This nomination is a joke. The very fact that all of the news outlets, prior to her nomination, were reporting that a MAN would have no shot at getting the appointment only goes to prove NOT ONLY reverse discrimination, but that chosing a candidate for their accomplishments is completely thrown out the window these days. She is just ANOTHER glowing example of why affirmative action doesn't, and never will work. After hearing and reading about some of this b***hes rulings over the last month or so, prepare to see blatently one sided decisions from this idiot. SHE IS RACIST, for all those who are claiming she isn't. And that is coming from a hispanic person. She is trash, and has no place in our courts. Her decisions WREAK of feminism. She is the texbook definition of of why women shouldn't be appointed to positions of power in this country. Her career, at least the one that the media have shown us, is a joke. We are better than this America. Another tragic episode in American history if she is confirmed.

[nanc12]

"She is the texbook definition of of why women shouldn't be appointed to positions of power in this country."
Wow - and you're calling HER a racist. Pot, meet kettle.

[ZedX-14Pilot]

Obviously 'nanc12', you, like all the other people who like to use racism, have no idea what the true meaning of the term is. That one line in my comment may be prejudice, but it sure isn't racist.

[nanc12]

actually, zedx, I said pot, meet kettle, because you labeling someone a racist at the same time you say prejudicial things is inane. You obviously have some kind of male inferiority complex, as your entire post is a paranoid anti-woman rant. However, your statement about affirmative action is racist, so I was right to begin with.

[omordha]

Affirmed racist belonging to a group which has expressed goals of the dismantling anAffirmed racist belonging to a group (La Raca: ?The Race?) with expressed goals of the dismantling and therefore destruction of the United States of America. She also believes in ?Economic Justice?, NOT justice for all. Obama and the extremist left are such a massive disaster for this country. We simply will not survive.

[nanc12]

Perhaps you'd like to edit your comment so that it contains at least one legible sentence.

[hungry1968-16]

You're probably one of those brainwashed Limbaugricans that believe that Islamic want to enslave us under their religion too, aren't you?

[ZedX-14Pilot]

Well said. Isn't it funny how these liberal wackjobs use wordplay these days to TRY and cover up what the REALLY mean? 'Economic Justice'? What does that even mean? What, we are going to take from the hard working rich to give to the LAZY ASS ethnics that chose to sit on their ass all day doing nothing instead of clawing and fighting for their piece of the American dream? I bet she blames the 50+% drop out rate in LA schools on the racist school system. You know, the one practically run by ILLEGAL immigrants and ethnic teachers. I happen to know a handfull of LA teachers, and the ones I know are all hispanic with prerequisite accents. You said it best, they are a disaster for this country.

[gunownerdan]

Sotomayor is just another freedom-hating gun banning extremist.

[hungry1968-16]

And you say this despite the fact that she's ruled against gun regulations time and time again, as being "unconstitutional"?



Maybe you should turn off the Fox News, and get a REAL source of information.

[gunownerdan]

"And you say this despite the fact that she's ruled against gun regulations time and time again, as being "unconstitutional"?"

Got any examples? I have examoples of where she ruled against our gun rights. Just months ago she ruled that the 2nd doesn't apply to the states only to the federal government! And no, I don't watch fox news.

[briannorwood]

" Just months ago she ruled that the 2nd doesn't apply to the states only to the federal government! And no, I don't watch fox news."

---

That is about a dumb a statement as I have heard. How can a law apply at the Federal level, yet not apply to the states? Please cite the case, so I can look it up.

[dennisall77]

Ahh, the rightwingnuts... knee jerk reaction to ANYTHING positive from the left... bash, burn, deride with vicious, nonsensical phrases. No logic, no evidence, no thought... just bash. But let Palin goes squirrely and she is FINE. Let HER daughter get pregant out of wedlock and it is the presses fault for noticing instead of family value issues as the right attacked the Spears daughter and mother on whe SHE got PG. Attack Michael as a pervert while ignoring that the boys recanted after the gag order was lifted and the parents were wealthy from the blackmail. Admit it, rightwingers, you HAVE to find something to HATE in order for you feel important and potent.

[skyk-2009]

What was it Rummy said? "If it can be put on a bumper sticker they will remember it"?

[Sloughfoot]

"nonesensical phrases"??? Perhaps you should do a proof read.

[dennisall77]

Even though I do not type well, I can at least think. More than I can say for the rightwingnuts who can only post "nonsensical phrases" such as "unrepentant racist." Sloughfoot, if you all you saw was a typo, then my points stand as accepted by you. THX

[anti-global2]

with the exception of her decision on the affirmative action case with the firefighters she seems like a pretty decent judge. I am however concerned with her position on affirmative action. I don't see how anyone can argue against the philosophy that the most qualified (education level, intelligence, personality, leadership skills, ect) should always win. If that means every top position is filled by a white man then so be it. If it means on the other hand that the trends shift and the highest positions are suddenly being filled with all black women, that is fine as well. The most intelligent should always win.

[skyk-2009]

I'm not sure the mission of Affirmative Action has been completed yet. You must remember Affirmative Action was NOT put in place to be fair, quite the reverse in fact. To look at Affirmative Action through todays lens isn't the way a Judge should look at it. It MUST be looked through the lens of the AGREEMENT that was reached AT THE TIME. Affirmative Action was a COMPROMISE with Blacks who had decided they'd had enough of Jim Crowe and White's Only Advertisements. Our society was on the verge of fighting in our streets over that and a Civil War in Vietnam. Now SOME and I must admit I was one of those, felt the ONLY right thing to do was HAVE Crimes against Humanity Trials in the South, bring those who had allowed the Terror, Bombings and Lynchings to take place should be brought to justice under the SAME International Laws that we brought the Nazi's to justice. Our side lost but I'm not sure we weren't right THEN and NOW!

[dennisall77]

Seems logical doesn't it, anti-global? Except when you throw in decades of educational disadvantages created by whites to keep blacks from advancing. It used to be illegal (1800's) to educate a black person. Lynchings and other forms of oppression/intimidation were used in the 1900's to instill fear and keep the blacks from advancing. This is all documented. Lack of education has a cumulative effect over the generations to the point that offspring have no role models for obtaining or valuing education and it is therefore not sought after as the whites do. Having black skin singles the person out more so than being Irish or Polish when they immigrated in large groups and assimilated over years. Considering all the barriers, blacks have done amazingly well.... but IQ tests have been proven to be faulty when measuring blacks. The tests were normed on white groups. There have been adjustments but are no longer held as good measuring devices to compare subgroups. It is easy to create a biased test... one could easily be created to show blacks superior to whites in many areas. Just keep in mind that when you say, "the most intelligent should always win" that there is no simple way to determine fairly who is most intelligent. Racial quotas are merely a tool to "SOMETIMES" assist in making certain a reasonable number of minority applicants are given a little extra consideration to make up for the decades of disparity. Most claims that whites are being treated unfairly are exaggereated claims made by racists to fuel the fires.

[anti-global2]

in the case this judge decided on it was being unfair to whites, the firefighters.
I can see what you mean about unfair testing in some cases, but if you place a math problem on a test I don't see how that is baised, unless one group is better at math over all them the other, and if that is the case what do you do?
Also I know all about history, but as a white person I feel that neither myself or my ancestors had anything to do with slavery and it's evils. My family comes from Quaker roots so if anything we were involved with the underground reailroads. That being said why would I be willing to move aside and take less money for a job so someone in a minority group who in the context of this discussion is less qualified? I didn't do anything wrong and therefore should not have to sacrifice to make a wrong right.

[dennisall77]

Anti-global, you seem like a very reasonable person and thank you for the civil reply. I might make one more observation: I hear many whites proclaim they did nothing wrong so why should THEY suffer. I also hear many conservative whites proclaim what a great country this is and try to prove their patriotism by attacking Liberals as America-haters by noting the tendency of the Left to remind us of all our history of abuse of minorities (blacks, Native Americans, Chinese, etc) If you are willing to claim greateness as a country, you must ALSO acknowledge the mistakes and abuses. You, anti-global, have profited by the abuses wrought over the years, so you must accept some responsibility also. How many of your relatives in the 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's kept quiet as Blacks were barred from restaurants, swimming pools, and equal education? Did they mention to their employers that there were only white faces among their co-workers and why aren't there more Blacks working with us? Perhaps they did, and I hope so. I know these points can be debated when presented here in a limited forum, but please open your mind a little to what Blacks have experienced over the decades and see if your road was not made easier by all the whites that prevented Blacks from advancing. I can mention also that it was not many years ago that Blacks were barred from purchasing property in my neighborhood. The methods varied, but they were always able to keep the Blacks out. If I had known it was happening, I would have protested. But I was just too naive at the time. No more.

[npkppprc]

Qualified? To be what? Judges should not have any baggage at all to be in the highest court in the land. She has shown her racist beliefs and who she is by the organizations she belongs to. Her ethnic background and beliefs are first and issues take a backseat.
This is who Obama wants to appoint to the court. Kind of shows who he is too.

[skyk-2009]

Honestly now, you weren't going to approve of any judge that Obama picked now were you? Come on you can confess on here! You are just another ditto head hoping for his failure and ANYTHING you can use to that end is OKAY? LOL When I look at Clarence Thomas, when I see someone THAT unqualified? I doubt ANY opinion from the fringe right...