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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
July 13, 2009
/ 20 Tamuz 5769
What the GOPers will ask Sotomayor
By
Byron York
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
There's been a lot of discussion about Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's views on affirmative action, quotas, and the role of federal judges. But with confirmation hearings set to begin this morning, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are becoming increasingly concerned about Sotomayor's positions on gun rights.
At issue is Sotomayor's opinion in a recent Second Amendment case in New York. Sotomayor held that even though the Supreme Court has ruled the federal government cannot deny the right to bear arms, state governments are still entitled to do so in other words, that the Second Amendment does not apply to the states.
"This is a huge issue, one of monumental importance," Sen. Jeff Sessions, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, told me during a wide-ranging discussion previewing the issues likely to come up at the hearings. "The Second Amendment case is troubling because there's no doubt that the Supreme Court will hear another important Second Amendment case soon, and it will turn on whether the Second Amendment applies to the states."
Sessions calls it "common sense" that the Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms. But he notes that the federal gun case was decided by a 5-to-4 margin, and a Justice Sotomayor could change the mix. The National Rifle Association says Sotomayor's position raises "very serious concerns," and Republicans on the Judiciary Committee hope some red-state Democratic senators share those concerns.
Sessions says GOP senators will also press Sotomayor on the controversial issue of quotas and her now-reversed decision in the Ricci case. Her ruling against Connecticut firefighters who had passed a race-neutral promotion test raised "a hugely important constitutional issue," Sessions says, and the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Sotomayor "was a pretty serious reversal of her approach."
Republicans will also explore whether Sotomayor's Ricci position was the product of a long and deeply held belief in racial preferences. GOP lawyers have been looking through Sotomayor's work on the board of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund and note that the group, with Sotomayor's help, filed a number of lawsuits challenging promotions at various public service agencies.
By the way, Sessions is still not sure whether he has gotten all the relevant material relating to Sotomayor's time at the PRLDEF. "We were told that there were 300 boxes of material, and the documents we've received amounted to about 1,000 pages, or about one box, so I'm uneasy about that," Sessions says. But with Democrats rushing to get the hearings done, there's little time to check on the rest of the material.
Beyond quotas, Republicans intend to question Sotomayor extensively about her public statements on the larger issue of bias in judging. "Her speeches are really troubling," Sessions says. "She basically says that she willingly accepts that a judge can and should allow their opinions É to be affected by their experience." Such a stance, Sessions believes, "goes contrary to the concept that a judge should set aside his personal biases and prejudices and political views and religious views and try the parties before him fairly and justly."
Sotomayor's beliefs, Sessions says, extend far beyond the "wise Latina" speech that caused controversy shortly after she was nominated. "I think because some of these matters came out early, statements like how judges set policy and the 'wise Latina' comment, that people apparently thought that was all there was to it," Sessions says. "But the speeches go very deeply into those concepts, which are very much outside the traditional American legal approach to judges."
In recent days there has been a lot of commentary to the effect that Republicans have essentially given up on any effort to oppose Sotomayor and that her hearing will likely be smooth sailing. Sessions is not convinced.
He's fully aware that Democrats have 60 votes and are determined to notch a win for President Barack Obama. But the issues guns, quotas, judicial philosophy remain. "Some people may think that because we're not participating in the politics of personal destruction and mean-spirited attacks, that these issues are not serious," Sessions concludes. "I consider them very serious. If a judge is not committed to setting aside their sympathies and prejudices and background biases when they take the bench, then they shouldn't sit on any bench."
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment on Byron York's column by clicking here.
Previously:
06/29/09 Serious questions remain for Mark Sanford
06/22/09 How GOPers can crack the AmeriCorps scandal
06/16/09 Worried about Sotomayor? Consider Andre Davis
06/08/09 Can Mitch Daniels save the GOP?
06/01/09 When the Dems derailed a Latino nominee
05/26/09 Why the GOP will defeat Obama on healthcare
05/19/09 Rosy report can't hide stimulus problems
05/12/09 The Reagan legacy is the man himself
05/05/09 Sen. Specter, meet your new friends
04/27/09 Ted Olson: ‘Torture’ probes will never end
04/20/09 Who's Laughing at the Axis of Evil today?
04/14/09 Congress needs Google to track stimulus money
04/06/09 Beyond AIG: A bill to let Big Government set your salary
03/30/09 On Spending and the Deficit, McCain Was Right
03/24/09 It's Obama's crisis now
03/17/09: Geithner-Obama economics: A joke that's not funny
© 2009, NEA
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