by Clerquette
Well, dear readers, it looks (to this blogress, at least) as though Judge Sotomayor's slide down the Leaderboard continues. The Washington Post reported today that, at a 2005 speech at Duke Univeristy, Judge Sotomayor told the crowd that. "[a]ll of the legal defense funds out there, they're looking for people with court of appeals experience" because "the court of appeals is where policy is made." Perhaps Judge Sotomayor realized the error of her ways; reports the Post, she "then sought to soften the statement, adding lightly, "I know this is on tape and I should never say that, because we don't make law, I know. Um, okay. I know. I'm not promoting it, I'm not advocating it." The audience then "laughed as she brushed off the statement, perhaps sarcastically." Um, er ... yeah.
As our readers are well aware, Sotomayor may have packed the conservative cannon with fodder with her (arguably) imprudent comments. After all, if her speech had been subtitled, it may have been translated loosely as "I believe that the Court of Appeals is a place where judicial activism is alive and well" or "Judicial activism rocks!" More to the point, most conservatives will hear these words, whether they were uttered or not. Clerquette hears something else: the sound of rancor, which will inavriably develop if POTUS puts forth a nominee with "activist" tendencies.
Recent news regarding other nominees raises additional questions about who the true front-runners may be in the Amazing Race to One First Street. As Politico reported this morning, two of the top contenders - Kathleen Sullivan and Pam Karlan -- are openly gay. Although Clerquette applauds these scholarly sirens for their pride, she has to wonder whether POTUS and his gang -- hardly vocal advocates of gay marriage -- are ready to be as loud and proud about their support for a gay nominee. Even with a near-filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, Clerquette wonders whether either side is ready for the down and dirty confirmation battle that either Sullivan or Karlan would face. Indeed, just thinking about it -- all the picketing, the Glenn Beckering, the chance for Sarah Palin to reappear and tell us all about "family values" -- makes this blogress want to decompress with a hot bath and some leftover Percoset.
In other words, though Clerquette admires and respects Sotomayor (who, she hastens to remind you, is still a Judicial Diva!), Sullivan, and Karlan, all three ladies may be "over par" at the moment. Stay tuned, Groupies.
Thoughts? Opinions? Tips? Email me at [email protected] -
Or find me on Twitter and Facebook!
Comments