Another first for New York
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- May
- 26
Gov. Paterson and minority lawmakers today reveled in President Obama’s nomination of Bronx native Sonia Sotomayor to be a Supreme Court justice. If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first Latina and only the third woman to serve on the nation’s highest court. Sotomayor, 54, whose parents moved to New York City from Puerto Rico during World War II, now sits on a federal appeals court in Manhattan.
“This is a great day. We are proud of her and look forward to working with her,’’ Paterson said in apparently passable Spanish (later translated for a mono-lingual reporter by an aide), as lawmakers cheered.
Paterson also recalled that when he was 12, his father shouted to his mother that President Johnson had nominated “somebody that sounded like Theodore Marshall’’ to the Supreme Court.
It was actually Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to serve on the high court.
“I hadn’t seen them so happy since the day my brother was born,’’ he said.
The nomination of Sotomayor shows “any child in this country can grow up to be whatever they want,’’ said New York’s first African American governor, and also the first legally bind person to be the chief executive of any state.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 at 4:11 pm by Jay Gallagher.
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A man of firsts that promotes more to come to and from the great state of New York.
Paterson has been speaking for months about how Judge Sotomayor would be an amazing candidate for the highest court in the land. He spoke to the Puerto Rican Bar Association a few weeks back and dared the crowd to dream.
So now we know that the Governor of NY has the President’s ear…that’s definitely a great feeling for us here in the state’s capital.
Let’s not pigeonhole this candidacy – a woman with the credentials of the credentials and background of Judge Sotomayor benefits not only the Hispanic community, but our entire judicial system.
Congrats to both Obama and Governor Paterson on a job well done.
“she would be the first Latina”
I guess the media is just going to ignore Benjamin Cardozo.
The first black (really half black) President is nominating the first (really 2nd) Latino to the Supreme Court – just sounds so much better than the truth!
Cardozo’s family were Sephardic Jews who emigrated from England sometime before the American Revolution. The last time his family could be traced back anywhere near the Iberian Peninsula was during the Spanish Inquisition. So, if that makes someone Latino, I guess you’re right, but it seems to me the most Latino thing about Cardozo is the family name.
JUSTICE CARDOZO was an amazing jurist – unlike SOTOMAYOR who relies on her status as a NYRicano – not NOT on any judicial abilities!!! Over 60% of her decisions have been overturned on appeal!!! Further her view of the law is very slight and has a racial/bigitted tinge to her rulings!!! Most prominent is the RICCI CASE – which is before the HIGH COURT now – and SOTOMAYOR’s ridiculous summary ruling of no reverse discrimination WILL BE OVERTURNED!!! BESIDES SHE CLAIMS TO BE A NYYANQUIS FAN – LIKE HILLARY. 2 DEMBHOLE LOSERS!!! Ha.