by Thomas Craig

I hope you are all watching the opening grand-standings... I mean statements for the Judge Sotomayor hearings.  It has been chock full of delicious sound bites from both parties, and an incredible insight into the misguided understanding of liberals as to the purpose of the judicial system.  The fundamentals of the argument over this woman are that liberals believe that justice should NOT in fact be blind, but consider the ethnicity and background of a person when deciding a verdict (not their criminal record, or lack thereof, but their level of poverty as if it is less serious for a poor person to kill someone than if a rich person does).  This leads me to the first quote of the day by Sen. Sessions (R-AL)...

"When there is empathy toward one, is it not prejudice toward another?"  There are many factors that a Judge may consider when rendering a verdict or a punishment, empathy based on race or social/financial standing is not one of them.

"I would trust that all members of this committee here today will reject the efforts of partisans and outside pressure groups that sought to create a caricature of Judge Sotomayor while belittling her record and achievements, her intelligence. ... Let no one demean this extraordinary woman." — Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., committee
It's called "democracy" and it is perfectly acceptable for anyone to question Judge Sotomayor much like it was acceptable for Democrats to question Chief Justice Roberts when he was nominated.  If Judge Sotomayor can not handle the inquiries, perhaps she cannot handle the position. (Personally I think she can handle it because she is too excited to impose her social agenda on the country to let a few pesky inquiries bother her.)

"The Supreme Court is meant to be a legal institution, not a political one. But some individuals and groups don't see it that way. They see the Supreme Court as ground zero for their political and social battles. They want justices to implement their political and social agenda through the judicial process." — Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.
Now more than ever we must work to reform our Party and bring balance to the Government.  If we fail in doing so, America will enter an unprecedented era.

"We cannot simply brush aside her extra-judicial statements. Until now, Judge Sotomayor has been operating under the restraining influence of a higher authority — the Supreme Court. If confirmed, there will be no such restraint that would prevent her from — to paraphrase President Obama — deciding cases based on her heartfelt views." — Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.
The Democrats feel that we should all ignore the statements made by Judge Sotomayor (much like we should ignore VP Biden's statements).  I wonder how they would feel if her statements supported the 2nd Amendment or a past speech revealed she was pro-life?  Liberals claim that a Judge always uses his/her personal experiences and feelings when on the bench.  In that case, We the People, deserve to have as much insight into this woman's experiences and feelings to ascertain the direction that our highest court will progress.  Here are a few more quotes from today's hearings...

"There must be a vigorous debate about the kind of judge America needs, because nothing less than our liberty is at stake. Must judges set aside, or may judges consider, their personal feelings in deciding cases? Is judicial impartiality a duty or an option?" — Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.

"So I do not believe that Supreme Court justices are merely umpires calling balls and strikes. Rather, I believe that they make the decisions of individuals who bring to the court their own experiences and philosophies. ... So I believe you, too, will bring your experiences and philosophy to this highest court. And I believe that will do only one thing and that is strengthen this high institution of our great country." — Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.