Politics on the Hudson

Here’s some of the New York reactions to the nomination by President Obama of Sonia Sotomayor, a Bronx native and federal appeals court judge for New York, Vermont and Connecticut,  as the nation’s first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: “I spoke with President Obama this morning and told him that he had made a historic and fantastic decision. In Judge Sotomayor, we have a superbly qualified jurist, who understands, respects, and connects with the people whose lives will be affected by the court.”

Sen. Charles Schumer: “Judge Sotomayor meets three very important standards in filling this Supreme Court vacancy—excellence, moderation and diversity. First, she is a top-of-the-class legal mind who achieved the very highest honors at the nation’s foremost academic institutions. Second, she is a moderate who was selected for the District Court by the first President Bush and was confirmed with Republican votes. Unlike the last President Bush, who solely sought nominees from the extreme right for the High Court, President Obama has not reached to the far left end of the spectrum to fill this vacancy.”

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo: “Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s journey from the Bronx to Supreme Court nominee is a true New York success story. She is a distinguished and thoughtful voice whose years of judicial expertise will be pivotal as the Supreme Court tackles historic issues vital to all Americans.”

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg: “When I met with the President in the Oval Office earlier this month, I took the opportunity to tell him that Sonia Sotomayor would be an outstanding choice for the Supreme Court, and people whose legal opinions I greatly respect speak very highly of her.  She has been an incredibly good federal judge, and having risen from humble beginnings in the Bronx, she brings a perspective that will serve the Court – and our nation – very well.”