Sotomayor Flip-Flops Again During Nomination Proceeding, Says Court Isn’t Where Policy Is Made
Yesterday during her second day of nomination hearings Sonia Sotomayor attempted to repudiate her now-infamous “wise Latina” comments by suggesting that she doesn’t actually believe that race gives anyone a leg-up in sound judicial rulings. Which obviously runs contrary to what she had previously said.
Today Sotomayor has been caught in a bit of a flip-flop again. Judge Sotomayor claimed during during questioning that she doesn’t believe policy is made from the bench. Senator Tom Coburn reminded her that she didn’t always feel that way:
JUDGE SONIA SOTOMAYOR: “We don’t make policy choices in the court. We look at the case before us with the interests that are argued by the parties, look at our precedent, and try to apply its principles to the arguments parties are raising.”
SEN. TOM COBURN (R-OK): “I’m reminded of one of your quotes that says you do make policy.”
Senator Coburn, of course, was referring to her 2005 line where she Judge Sotomayor said the “Court of Appeals is where policy is made”
State Senator Joe Miller, who serves on the North Dakota Judicial Confirmation Hearing steering committee, noted to me that Sotomayor’s inconsistencies are troubling: “We went into this hearing with questions about Judge Sotomayor, and it turns out we may end it with even more questions. Clearly, there have been several inconsistencies, and that is concerning.”
We can agree or disagree about whether or not Sotomayor is fit for the court, but shouldn’t we all at least expect that she be honest?
