So Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court; all I can say is: great choice! As President Obama pointed out, Ms. Sotomayor’s credentials include one of the most important decisions of my lifetime: she saved Baseball:
WASHINGTON — Federal judges are rarely famous or widely celebrated. Yet during a brief period in 1995, Judge Sonia Sotomayor became revered, at least in those cities with major league baseball teams.
She ended a long baseball strike that year, briskly ruling against the owners in favor of the players.
The owners were trying to subvert the labor system, she said, and the strike had “placed the entire concept of collective bargaining on trial.”
After play resumed, The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that by saving the season, Judge Sotomayor joined forever the ranks of Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams. The Chicago Sun-Times said she “delivered a wicked fastball” to baseball owners and emerged as one of the most inspiring figures in the history of the sport.
We all know that the right wing is going to do everything they can to trash her (or any other Obama nominee), as they’ve already told us (and Booman has written about so well):
This month, as it appeared increasingly likely that Sotomayor would be Obama’s nominee, the judge has been the target of a whisper campaign, and many leading far-right activists — including Limbaugh and Fox News personalities — started the offensive against her weeks ago.
For what it’s worth, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said earlier this month that Sotomayor would face stiff GOP opposition if she were nominated for the high court. Since that would be true of any Obama nominee, it hardly matters.
So whenever a winger starts attacking, we should immediately ask them “Why do you hate Baseball?”; and by extension America. Ask them if they also oppose ‘Mom and Apple Pie’. Maybe I’ll start a new PAC: “Baseball fans for Sotomayor”. Who’s with me?
(Cross posted from http://pygalgia.blogspot.com/)
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Judge Sonia Sotomayor is an obviously serious candidate to serve on the Supreme Court. We have been struck by how the amount of commentary about Judge Sotomayor has ignored the most accessible and valuable source of information: her opinions as an appellate judge. Last year, I directed a project in which a team of Akin Gump summer associates extensively reviewed Judge Sotomayor’s opinions.
CIVIL LITIGATION
Since joining the Second Circuit in 1998, Sotomayor has authored over 150 opinions, addressing a wide range of issues, in civil cases. To date, two of these decisions have been overturned by the Supreme Court; a third is under review and likely to be reversed. In those two cases (and likely the third), Sotomayor’s opinion was rejected by the Supreme Court’s more conservative majority and adopted by its more liberal dissenters (including Justice Souter). Those outcomes suggest that Sotomayor’s views would in many respects be similar to those of Justice Souter.
Read more …
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Thank you for the additional background information. I’m well aware that Ms. Sotomayor has a very distinguished record as a judge, and that the baseball decision is only one of many. Her record clearly shows that she is very well qualified.
I chose to highlight the baseball decision as a simple straightforward example that can be used to counter the right-wing attacks (which will be overly simplified) on her as a nominee. Conservatives love to portray themselves as “more American” than liberals, so this is my small attempt to counter that characterization.
Smarter and better informed people than I will debate her nomination, and that is good. But I love baseball, so she’s already scored points with me.
they love baseball…owners.