I figured this good news deserved its own post. She was confirmed by a margin of 68 to 31 (Ted Kennedy was ill and did not vote).
Only 9 of the Senate’s 40 Republicans voted for Sotomayor.
See the New York Times story here.
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Only 9 of the Senate’s 40 Republicans voted for Sotomayor.
Filed under U. S. Supreme Court
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
It is excellent news. It still brings tears to my eyes. Some day the half of the population who is female won’t blink an eye when a female is confirmed, and there won’t be questions about a woman’s ability to do the job — that will be a good day indeed.
“In opposing Sotomayor, Republicans risk a backlash from her fellow Hispanics, the fastest growing U.S. minority.
Janet Murguia of the National Council of La Raza, a major Hispanic civil rights group, said: “This vote will matter — and it will be long remembered.”
Hispanics make up 15 percent of the U.S. population and voted by a two-to-one margin for Obama in the 2008 presidential election.
But Republicans seemed unconcerned. They said many Hispanics were conservatives and more interested in such issues as jobs and the economy.”
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/08/06/us/politics/politics-us-usa-sotomayor.html
We’ll see, won’t we?
I don’t think Hispanics are necessarily a monlythic voting block, but it does seem the Republicans are intent upon making them one. Keep up the good work GOP!
Glad to see it!
Damn. Now my president and his confirmed nominee to the SCOTUS are younger than me – what is this world coming to?
Hell, just yesterday I was young, with a hard body and a …………….. and now I am old and gray and these damn youngsters are taking over.
Shoot, almost makes me want to become a member of the GOP (Group of Psychos.)
Well, then again, maybe not!
Well Biker remember what Churchill said, “If you are not a liberal in your twenties you have no heart. If you are not a Conservative in your forties you have no mind!”.
The Votemaster lists the nine Republicans who voted to confirm Sotomayor, where they’re from and a guess as to the reason for the YES vote, along with some more interesting opinions and information.
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee, ?
Kit Bond, Missouri, Retiring
Susan Collins, Maine, Very blue state and solidarity with a woman
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina, Service in the Judge Advocate General Corps
Judd Gregg, New Hampshire, Retiring
Richard Lugar, Indiana, Old-style conservative
Mel Martinez, Florida, Retiring
Olympia Snowe, Maine, Very blue state and solidarity with a woman
George Voinovich, Ohio, Retiring
Bush got 40% of the Hispanic vote. Much like other groups there are those who are die hard liberals and those who are die hard conservatives and those in the middle who will look at what each candidate brings.
I think we go down a slippery slope when we say someone should be hired or not based on aspects that have nothing to do with their qualifications.
There were those that said if a Senator opposed Sotomayor that they were either sexist or racist. I think that does a great disservice to the debate of who does the best job and makes Justice Sotomayor look like she was nominated purely for her race.
Personally I like to see the diversity on the court but if someone opposes a nominee we shouldn’t automatically assume it is b/c of only one aspect of the person.
I don’t disagree with anything you said! However, I watched the confirmation hearings and believe me some of those Senators voted against her for no better reasons than:
1. she is a woman
2. she is hispanic
3. she was nominated by President Obama
I’m tired of women, minority races, those who may hold a belief outside Christianity, those who are GLBT, handicapped / disabled, young or old being held to different and higher standards. I don’t expect to live long enough to see people being treated with equality, but I hope my grandchildren might.
I heard the real reason McCain voted against Sotomayor was in retaliation to Obama because Sen. Obama did not vote for Justice Roberts.
Oh yeah, that’s really an intellectual and mature thing to do, isn’t it?
Is this a pissing contest or a serious matter?
McCain. That would be the man who treats women, including his wives, with great disrespect. We noticed that too.
bearman – I would agree with you that no one should be hired based on their ethnicity but Sotomayor was well qualified. In fact, her record of being overturned was extremely good – so shall we compare her record to the other Supreme Court Justices?
I especially did not like the inference the Republicans were making about Sotomayor’s temperament.
Translated – that means that every woman is considered a bitch if she dares to disagree with a man. Women have been hearing this argument for years and, frankly, we are tired of it.
Not only are we tired of it, we recognize it, and we vote.
Amen Sister!
“bearman – I would agree with you that no one should be hired based on their ethnicity but Sotomayor was well qualified. ”
Agreed that she was well qualified. And we are agreed that there were some who had petty reasons for not voting for her (ie McCain or merely b/c it was a Dems nominee). My only point was that someone who did question her qualifications shouldn’t automatically be labelled b/c of it.