Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) announced today that he'll vote against Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court.
In his speech on the Senate floor, McCain said that Sotomayor's excellent resume and compelling personal story alone do not qualify her for the high court. He accused the judge of attempting "to walk back from her long public record of judicial activism during her confirmation hearings," adding, "Judge Sotomayor cannot change her record."
Finally, McCain said, "Judicial activism demonstrates a lack of respect for the popular will that is at fundamental odds with our republican system of government. And, as I stated earlier, regardless of one's success in academics and in government service, an individual who does not appreciate the common sense limitations on judicial power in our democratic system of government ultimately lacks a key qualification for a lifetime appointment to the bench. For this reason, and no other, I am unable to support Judge Sotomayor's nomination."
Patricia Murphy writes "The Capitolist" column for PoliticsDaily.com. She is the founder of Citizen Jane Politics, a non-partisan website for women... more
No surprise here. McCain objects to anything President Obama suggests. Sore loser.
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Tasso Paris
5:35PM Aug 3rd 2009
Lousy speech lousy speech writer ..... the issue is NOT who Americans will hold accounbtable but what is in America's best interest ....Does McCain really believe that SotoMeyer will run rampant ...... bupartisan politics at its worst.
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Tom
5:41PM Aug 3rd 2009
It sort of raises the question: What do Republicans mean by the phrase "judicial activisim"?
During the committee hearings, the Republican senators repeatedly quoted sentences from Sotomayor's speeches, but admitted that they could find no "activism" in her judicial decisions.
So is the Republican argument now that a judge can't express any opinions in public (or at least any non-mainstream opinions) even if the judge doesn't apply those opinions when doing her/his job? What happened to conservative support for free speech and the 1st Amendment rights of people, including judges?
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Ken Green
5:41PM Aug 3rd 2009
Thank you for doing your research Sen. Mccain.
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wakeup
7:39PM Aug 3rd 2009
Sotomayor is racist I'm sorry that is how it is look at the white firemen she voted against and her comments about white men. This is racism against whites just as it has been against black there no excuse for it. We need another Hispanic, Asian, Black, White or Polka Dotted person that isn't a racist.......I would vote no on this racist lady....
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rustyrules426
8:12PM Aug 3rd 2009
I would hope he votes No! I'd be surprised if he didn't. Why would any American vote for her?