Opposition Builds to Sonia Sotomayor, Democrats Getting Fewer GOP Votes
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
July 29, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Now that the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor moves to the full Senate from the Senate Judiciary Committee, opposition is building to her nomination. Senate Democrats are acknowledging that more lawmakers oppose her bid for the Supreme Court.
Sen. Bailey Hutchison, who is battling pro-life Gov. Rick Perry in the Republican primary for governor next year, announced her opposition today.
Hutchinson said "her judicial philosophy is an area of great concern to me."
"I am also concerned about her statements in a speech that the Federal appellate courts are where policy is made. I believe judges should interpret the law, not make it," she said.
Richard Burr, a pro-life North Carolina senator, also announced his opposition.
"I am concerned with Judge Sotomayor’s ability to adhere to long-standing case precedent and apply the law according to a strict interpretation of the Constitution. I am troubled by her decisions in cases where she appears to have relied on something other than well-settled law to come to a decision," he said.
"My fear is that she has been unable to separate her personal belief system from that of the letter of the law," Burr continued.
Also, pro-life Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, has announced his opposition.
"Because of my concerns with her willingness to properly and dutifully uphold fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution, I cannot, in good conscience, vote in favor of Judge Sotomayor’s confirmation," he said.
On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid acknowledged that opposition to Sotomayor is building and he blasted Republicans for opposing her nomination.
“It appears today we’re going to get a handful of Republicans,” Reid said. “I hope that my prediction is wrong. I hope we get half the Republicans. It would be great to get 20 Republicans.
“With very rare exception, Republicans in the United States Senate do not represent mainstream Republicans in this country,” Reid claimed.
Thus far, only five Republicans have indicated they will back Sotomayor’s nomination, including pro-abortion Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snow of Maine along with Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Richard Lugar of Indiana and Mel Martinez of Florida.
Reid noted that Chief Justice John Roberts won the support of about half of the Democratic Conference in 2005, but Sotomayor’s possible activism on the high court is turning off Democrats.
In fact, no Democratic nominee since 1916 has received as many votes against his nomination as are already certain even before the Sotomayor final vote.
That is a departure form the prediction of pro-abortion Sen. Charles Schumer, who predicted earlier this month that “there’s a very good chance she’s going to get as many, if not more, votes than Judge Roberts got, which was 78."
She is turning off Americans as well, with polls showing her failing to get more than an even split with the public.
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