Saturday, August 8, 2009

Sotomayor Swearing In

Family and friends of Judge Sonia Sotomayor are gathering at the Supreme Court to see her sworn in as the court's first Hispanic justice. The court will have its own welcoming ceremony for Sotomayor next month, and President Barack Obama is having a White House reception for her on Wednesday. Sotomayor, who won a groundbreaking Senate confirmation vote Thursday over intense conservative opposition, will be sworn in twice by Chief Justice John Roberts.
Senate Democrats backed her unanimously but most Republicans lined up in a show of opposition both for her and for the president's standards for a justice. Republicans argued that she'd bring personal bias and a liberal agenda to the bench. But Democrats praised Sotomayor as an extraordinarily qualified mainstream moderate and touted her elevation to the court as a milestone in the nation's journey toward greater equality and a reaffirmation of the American dream.
The National Rifle Association, which hadn't weighed in on Supreme Court nominations past, strongly opposed her and threatened to downgrade its ratings of any senator who voted to confirm Sotomayor. The warning may have influenced some Republicans who were initially considered possible supporters but later announced their opposition, citing gun rights as a key reason.

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