Video: McCain's Speech on Sotomayor No Vote
Patricia Murphy
Capitol Hill Bureau Chief
Posted:
08/3/09
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."
Video below.
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."
Video below.