Sonia Sotomayor nominated….FIESTA!

It’s the end of the world as we know it again, with returning player North Korea.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how unsafe does Phil the Pill feel?

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In other news, Obama has made his Supreme Court pick and it is, in fact, an Hispanic woman!

President Barack Obama named federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor as the nation’s first Hispanic Supreme Court justice on Tuesday, praising her as “an inspiring woman” with both the intellect and compassion to interpret the Constitution wisely.Obama said Sotomayor has more experience as a judge than any current member of the high court had when nominated, adding she has earned the “respect of colleagues on the bench,” the admiration of lawyers who appear in her court and “the adoration of her clerks.”

…The Senate Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, issued a statement that said: “Senate Republicans will treat Judge Sotomayor fairly. But we will thoroughly examine her record to ensure she understands that the role of a jurist in our democracy is to apply the law evenhandedly, despite their own feelings or personal or political preferences.”

…Democrats hold a large majority in the Senate, and barring the unexpected, Sotomayor’s confirmation should be assured.

Fiesta!

As a Latino, it’s good to see that we’ve made it to a prominent level of office. Also, it’s funny to see Republicans squirm, because they can’t block the vote without offending the growing amount of Hispanic voters.

So, I was going to put up something more relevant, but my rule is, if it passes a certain treshold of offensiveness, it must be shared.

Actually, let’s see what our friends at the Drudge Report have to say about all this.

Republicans F*cked.

From Jeffrey Rosen at The New Republic

Her former clerks report that because Sotomayor is divorced and has no children, her clerks become like her extended family–working late with her, visiting her apartment once a month for card games (where she remembers their favorite drinks), and taking a field trip together to the premier of a Harry Potter movie.

The most consistent concern was that Sotomayor, although an able lawyer, was “not that smart and kind of a bully on the bench,” as one former Second Circuit clerk for another judge put it. “She has an inflated opinion of herself, and is domineering during oral arguments, but her questions aren’t penetrating and don’t get to the heart of the issue.”

…Her opinions, although competent, are viewed by former prosecutors as not especially clean or tight, and sometimes miss the forest for the trees. It’s customary, for example, for Second Circuit judges to circulate their draft opinions to invite a robust exchange of views. Sotomayor, several former clerks complained, rankled her colleagues by sending long memos that didn’t distinguish between substantive and trivial points, with petty editing suggestions–fixing typos and the like–rather than focusing on the core analytical issues….

…I haven’t read enough of Sotomayor’s opinions to have a confident sense of them, nor have I talked to enough of Sotomayor’s detractors and supporters, to get a fully balanced picture of her strengths. It’s possible that the former clerks and former prosecutors I talked to have an incomplete picture of her abilities. But they’re not motivated by sour grapes or by ideological disagreement–they’d like the most intellectually powerful and politically effective liberal justice possible. And they think that Sotomayor, although personally and professionally impressive, may not meet that demanding standard. Given the stakes, the president should obviously satisfy himself that he has a complete picture before taking a gamble.

So she’s a typo-correcting, perceived dumbass who can’t see the forest for the trees, and she takes out her law clerks to see Harry Potter?

Hmm…BUT SHE’S HISPANIC!

Seriously, let’s let the confirmation process go forward. Different judges have different styles and it seems like most criticisms stem from a single contention: Obama picked her. Go boil your heads, knee-jerk reaction conservatives. The Court is still fairly balanced. You can keep your guns.
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In other news, this kid keeps a lending library of books that are “banned” in her school in her locker.

I encourage everyone who goes to a high school that bans books to do this. Spread information. Spread ideas. Crush ignorance.

And. finally, continuing with the theme of animals and pictures:

That’s it for today. Until next time, this is Phil the Pill and I’ll be throwing a FIESTA!…while working and taking summer classes, but as much as posisble