Judge Sotomayor's nomination: What's it all about

"Politics is war without bloodshed, while war is politics with bloodshed"
--Mao Tse-tung
"Once all struggle is grasped, all miracles are possible."
-- Mao Tse-tung

Listen up. A long-time friend just phoned and asked me what The Prez' nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor was all about. What's her story? Is she qualified? Will she be a good judge on the court? Will she make a difference on the court?

What's her story?

It's a great story, a perfect story for America and for The Prez. She only grew out of a project in New York (where she was diagnosed as diabetic at the age of 8 and where her dad died at the age of 9) to become summan cum laude (That's best in the class, folks) at Princeton and a Judge on the federal bench of New York. How baaad was she? So baaad that a Republican president (George Bush 41) appointed to a district court and a Democratic president (President Clinton). All along the way, she kept developing a reputation as a an intelligent quick study and a sharp legal mind.

Is she qualified?

In these times, filled with divisiveness in Washington, draped with Republican acting like everyday is "Get Obama Day" day, do you The Prez would pick someone who wasn't? Besides attending two of America's best schools (Yale and Princeton), she graduated at the top of her class, served as editor of the Yale Law Journal), worked five years as a prosecutor in the Manhattan District office, developed a successful private practice; and that's just for starters. She was appointed to the federal court by President Georg Bush 41 in 1992.

Her qualification is not even an issue. But politics is. The fact that she is a woman, a person of color, and just be might be empathetic enough to side with the poor and the middle class against corporate America is.

Will she be a good Judge on the Supreme Court?

Yes. She will vote on the side of gay rights, the right of women to control their own bodies, and against discrimination. However, whether she will side on ordinary Americans against the state is questionable. On that score, she tends to be more conservative and sides with the state. But overall, she will be good for the average American.

Will she make a difference on the Supreme Court?

Yes. First, she will provide some good company for Ruth Ginsberg, the only other woman on the court. Second, her vote will help to deal with the gigantic difference between liberals and conservatives on the Supreme Court, which is dominated by Scalia. However, labels like liberal and may not fit very well. True liberals on the court were Justice Stephen Bryer and Thurgood Marshall. Those type are not on the Supreme Court. The so- called liberal are like Justice Souter, a moderate. They don't speak with especially strong voices on issues. Sotomayor comes out of this mold. Still, her voice is needed, and she will make a difference.

What is this all about?

It's all about judicial politics, the fight to realign the Supreme Court from an oppressive institution ruled by white boys appointed by politicians aligned to corporations and oppressive Republicans administrations to a more balanced Supreme Court that more represents America.

Something that is little noted is that this fight is at its highest at the appellate level, where The Prez and his administration is busying itself trying to appoint women and people of color to the appellate judgeships and thereby grovide them the experience to be more qualified to become Supreme Court justices in the future. Sotomayor will motivate those judges to solid work at the level so they can get to work with Sotomayor on the highest court in the land.

Because she has is highly qualified, because she has demonstrated a great legal mind, and because she is the first hispanic Supreme Court nominee, it will be difficult for Republicans to keep her from being confirmed. Here is how Sen. Schumer from New York put it:

"In addition to having more overall judicial experience than anyone confirmed for the court in the past 70 years, Sotomayor will bring an important perspective to the court as both a woman and a Latina. Her life story, which has taken her from a public housing project in the Bronx to the finest schools in the county and a distinguished legal career, is beyond compelling. It will give the court some needed understanding of how ordinary Americans live. Her outstanding legal mind, and her compelling life experience, is just the combination this court needs in its next justice. Given her track record of excellence and moderation, and her life story, it’s going to be very hard for any senator, Republican or Democrat, to vote against her."