By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS
As went the vote by a U.S. Senate committee Tuesday, local reaction to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation fell along party lines.
The Senate Judiciary Committee all but ensured that Sotomayor will become the first Hispanic justice of the U.S. high court with its 13-to-6 vote. Only one Republican joined all 12 Democrats to confirm the 55-year-old federal judge.
Republicans are concerned that Sotomayor is a “judicial activist,” looking to influence policies on gun rights, abortion and property rights, to name a few.
“Judicial opinions must be separated from political beliefs, and Judge Sotomayor has expressed on many occasions the belief that judges cannot be independent and must rely on personal experience to make rulings,” wrote Congressman Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, in a recent letter to Colorado’s Democratic U.S. Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, urging them to oppose the confirmation.
“This is a disturbing judicial philosophy,” continued Lamborn. “It is imperative to the soundness of our justice system for our judges to impartially interpret the law, regardless of history, lineage, ethnicity, gender, race, or religion.”
But Udall and Bennet Tuesday were fast to applaud the panel’s confirmation of Sotomayor.
“Sonia Sotomayor brings a fresh perspective, a moderate approach, and exceptional qualifications to the Supreme Court, and she will be a valuable addition,” said Udall.
“Judge Sonia Sotomayor will be a tremendous asset to the U.S. Supreme Court,” said Bennet. “She has a keen intellect, an impressive legal and academic background, and a deep understanding of how the court’s decisions affect the daily lives of all Americans.”
The full Senate is expected to take a final vote on Sotomayor’s confirmation by the end of next week.
Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters
