Be sure and take a moment to visit our "Supreme Court Action Center" [5] and get the latest facts and info on Sotomayor, as well as links to other useful information to counter the liberal spin on her as a "mainstream" judge.
And be sure to let your senators know your concerns [6].
Remember folks, the Supreme Court is for life.
We're updating info in our Action Center pretty much every day now, so feel free to contact us [7]with any additional info that you think would be useful.
Here's some of the info you can find in our Action Center:
On the Issues:
RACIAL PREFERENCES: In the case of Ricci v. DeStefano, Sotomayor sided with a city that used racially discriminatory practices to deny promotions to white firefighters because they performed better on a test designed to determine who should be promoted. The US Supreme Court just overturned her decision in this case. (more here [8])
SEPARATION OF POWERS: She has said that "the Court of Appeals is where policy is made", suggesting her acceptance that it's ok for judges to make policy, rather than our legislative branch. (reference and video [9])
PARTIAL JUSTICE: She has repeatedly said that her ethnicity and gender ("a wise Latina") would make her a "better" judge. She also said a judges background will "affect the facts that judges choose to see". In a 2002 speech at Berkeley, she stated that she believes it is appropriate for a judge to consider their "experiences as women and people of color," which she believes should "affect our decisions." She went on to say in that same speech "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life." She reiterated her commitment to that lawless judicial philosophy at Duke Law School in 2005 when she stated that the "Court of Appeals is where policy is made." (more here [10] and here [11])
DEATH PENALTY: Sotomayor signed on to a statement by the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF) opposing the reinstatement of the death penalty in New York state, arguing that capital punishment creates "inhuman psychological burdens" for the offender and favoring "more benign" punishment for convicted murderers.
ABORTION: While she was a leader of the PRLDEF, it filed briefs in two Supreme Court cases arguing that taxpayer dollars must be used to fund abortions.
SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS: In one case, she ruled that the Second Amendment does not apply to states and local governments. Twice she ruled that the Second Amendment is not a "fundamental right".
FOREIGN LAW: She as said that American courts should rely more on foreign law, even to interpret our Constitution.
REVERSALS: Proving she's out of the mainstream, Sotomayor's decisions have either been reversed or vacated by the US Supreme Court in 8 out of 10 cases since 2000. (reference [12])
A FAVORITE OF LIBERALS: In addition to her record as a hard left judicial activist, Sotomayor has been recommended for the Supreme Court by Nan Aron of the very liberal Alliance for Justice, who stated in a 2004 memo to the Senate Judiciary Committee that Sotomayor had "been through an initial vetting and fit into the criteria that we believe should be the standard for any Supreme Court justice."
***
Find more at the Action Center [5]...and remember to pass a link to it on other others.
