A HOME RUN PICK

On the Other Hand….

……Jackson Blair


A “HOME RUN” PICK!

I wrote last week in some columns, and on my blog, that I hoped President Obama would not try to name a woman, a Hispanic, a black, a gay, a conservative or a liberal, but rather would seek a person with an outstanding intellect, schooled at the best universities, known for fairness, and with a record that could be explored and found appropriate.

I believe he did just that.

I think he made his nomination based on intellect, education and a defensible record of rulings. That the person also happened to be female, and Hispanic, was just icing on the cake.

Here are the bullets everyone will be talking about:

o Modest circumstances of her childhood.

o Summa cum laude from Princeton and on to Yale Law School.

o First appointed a judge by President George H.W. Bush (Republican) on the recommendation of U.S. Senator Pat Moynihan (Democrat).

o Elevated to a high court bench by President William Clinton (Democrat).

o Young enough to build an incredible record on the high court

o Old enough to have applicable experience and an existing record as a jurist

Judge Sotomayor looks, at first glance, to be a very qualified pick!
The glances, however, will now turn into serious in-depth investigation. Outstanding jurists have failed before to be confirmed by the Judiciary Committee. That said, it has usually been when the minority party held more seats and could swing votes.

The Constitution provides for a process that will permit Senators to carefully review every decision she ever wrote and every comment she ever made about the issues of the day.

There will be the usual political posturing by the extreme Left and the extreme Right. This is all just part of the process.

With a Democrat in The White House and Democrats in control of both houses of Congress, it would take something quite outrageous and extraordinary to deny this appointee confirmation.

In one of the first great tests of his presidency, President Obama seems to have made an excellent choice, one representative of his personal philosophy, the philosophy of his party, and one that is confirmable.

Justice-designate Sotomayor loves baseball. She is a dedicated baseball fan. The fact that she is a Yankees fan might turn out to be the biggest problem she will encounter with some of the Senators!

She would be pleased to read a headline that said:

OBAMA HIT A HOME RUN!