Judge Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed by a 68-31 vote of the United States Senate to become the next associate justice on the Supreme Court. The overwhelming of Republicans voted against Sotomayor but with the controlling Democrats all in favor, the outcome was never in serious doubt.
Her proponents, largely on the Democratic side, had called her a person of moderate judicial temperament and noted her positive life story. Opponents claimed that Sotomayor was a judicial activist, citing a ruling against a reverse discrimination claim by a group of firefighters, a ruling later overturned by the entity to which she will soon belong.
The daughter of native Puerto Ricans, Sotomayor will be the 111th justice in the history of the Supreme Court, third female court justice and first Hispanic person in a high court position.
Other than the historical significance though, the new nominee's impact may end up being minimal. Sotomayor will replace a similarly moderate/liberal justice in David Souter, likely leading to no shifts in the ideological bent of the court. Should the next Obama nominee (if any) be appointed to replace a right-wing justice though, the true fight will be on.Labels: politics, sonia sotomayor, supreme court, u.s. senate
