Will she or won’t she? May 27, 2009

Will the inspired choice of Sonia Sotomayor be an October surprise when she climbs up those big steps to her seat on the Supreme Court?  Will she be Justice Souter in a dress? Can we count on her to be our liberal clarion call?  I am worried about her one previous ruling on abortion (she sided with the Bushies on her one ruling) and the lack of information we have on her opinions about gay rights, the death penalty and national security.  Just because she has an inspiring personal story and has beat amazing odds to be in the position she is finds herself today does not mean she thinks like ‘we’ do.  Try to remember that Justice Clarence Thomas had an interesting personal story as well and his opinion on ‘the little guy’ goes pretty much like this – ‘well, I did it – why can’t you?
That said – I am going to give her the benefit of the doubt and give her my full support with the hopes that I am not disappointed.

–  There is a lot to read about Sotomayor everywhere today. Here are 10 things you should know about Sotomayor from The Huffington Post to start.
1. HER UPBRINGING
2. HER EDUCATION
3. HER WORK OFF THE BENCH
4. HER JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE
5. HER STRUGGLE WITH DIABETES
6. SOTOMAYOR SUPPORTED BY REPUBLICANS
7. SOTOMAYOR ON ABORTION, GAY MARRIAGE
8. SOTOMAYOR WOULD BE FIRST HISPANIC JUSTICE
9. SOTOMAYOR “SAVED BASEBALL”
10. SOTOMAYOR ON THE CONSTITUTION AND “JUDICIAL ACTIVISM”

–  I watched (with tears in my eyes) the entire Obama Introducing Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee for Supreme Court on TV yesterday morning. It was one of his inspired speeches and I do really, really, really want to give her a chance (but I am still worried).

–  Dahlia Lithwick discusses Sonia Sotomayor’s judical record on “The Rachel Maddow Show.” Apparently, Ms. Lithwick did some research on the issue. Rachel is worried too just like I am.

–  Did you all hear the THUD yesterday?  Bernie Kerik is in more trouble. He was indicted on charges of making false statements to White House officials vetting him for the secretary’s seat at the Department of Homeland Security in 2004.

–  And what can we say about the California Supreme Courts‘ decision on Prop 8? They ruled that a voter-approved proposition defining marriage as between a man and a woman could stand in the state. However, they said the 18,000 marriages that had been performed before the ballot initiative can stand.  Good grief.  Stay tuned for another round of propositions on this issue. “Prop. 8, meanwhile, is heading for federal court, though not through the efforts of established gay-rights groups, which tried to avoid raising an issue that could bring the marriage dispute before the conservative-led U.S. Supreme Court.  An organization called the American Foundation for Equal Rights plans to announce a federal court challenge to the ballot measure in Los Angeles today. Its lawyers are Theodore Olson, who represented George W. Bush in the dispute over who won the 2000 presidential election, and David Boies, Al Gore’s attorney in the same case.  Adversaries in last year’s campaign had anticipated Tuesday’s ruling after hearing the justices’ comments at a hearing in March, and are looking ahead to another battle as early as November 2010 on an initiative to overturn Prop. 8. ”

–  Just in case you were on another planet yesterday:

–  The Philadelphia Zoo is celebrating its 150th anniversary.  We drove down last week to help them celebrate and to preview their new McNeil Avian Center.  It was well worth the trip.  The Avian Center is bird -terrific and we were delighted to discover an adorable three month old Coqueral’s Sifaka baby in their primate center.  Check out the photos bird photos here.

–  Watch the adorable three month old Coqueral’s Sifaka Baby I saw playing at the PECO Primate Center at the Philadelphia Zoo, May, 2009.