A sampling of reaction from conservative interest groups and Republicans on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court:
Wendy Long, counsel to the Judicial Confirmation Network:
"Judge Sotomayor is a liberal judicial activist of the first order who thinks her own personal political agenda is more important that the law as written. She thinks that judges should dictate policy, and that one's sex, race, and ethnicity ought to affect the decisions one renders from the bench.
"She reads racial preferences and quotas into the Constitution, even to the point of dishonoring those who preserve our public safety. On September 11, America saw firsthand the vital role of America's firefighters in protecting our citizens. They put their lives on the line for her and the other citizens of New York and the nation. But Judge Sotomayor would sacrifice their claims to fair treatment in employment promotions to racial preferences and quotas. The Supreme Court is now reviewing that decision.
"She has an extremely high rate of her decisions being reversed, indicating that she is far more of a liberal activist than even the current liberal activist Supreme Court."
Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch:
“Barack Obama is on record saying he favors judges who will let their ‘empathy’ or bias for certain individuals color their decision-making. If Judge Sotomayor shares Obama’s activist judicial philosophy, U.S. Senators who want to protect the Constitution will have no choice but to oppose her nomination.
“Americans want the Supreme Court to make decisions based on the Constitution and not on some lawless standard that puts identity politics before the law. There is no room on the Supreme Court for someone who will put her feeling and politics above the rule of law."
Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice:
“The background and philosophy of Judge Sotomayor clearly puts the Constitution front and center. How will this nominee view the Constitution and the rule of law? Will she embrace past comments when she stated that the ‘court of appeals is where policy is made’? This nomination raises serious questions about the issue of legislating from the bench.
“We’re hopeful that the members of the Senate will ask the tough questions about her judicial philosophy and temperament when the confirmation hearings get underway this summer. The American people deserve to fully understand what kind of Justice is being nominated to serve on the nation’s highest court for decades to come.”
Raoul Cantero, White & Case partner and former justice on the Florida Supreme Court:
“In announcing her nomination, President Obama expressed three factors that he believe make a good judge. First, he said, was intellectual rigor—the qualifications of a judge. I’m sure everyone agrees. The second was recognition of the limits of the judicial role and commitment to impartial justice. This is a refreshing statement and perhaps reflects his legal background. The third repeated his prior statements about 'heart' and 'empathy.'
"The problem will soon arise, as it inevitably does for any judge in a court of last resort, of what happens in a particular case when the second factor of limited judicial role impartiality conflicts with empathy? When push comes to shove, will a Justice Sotomayor favor individuals over institutions, employees over corporations, the poor over the rich? My hope is that she will recognize that a judge is supposed to be objective, impartial, free from bias. When it comes to judging, impartiality must trump empathy.”
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