Were the Democrat's suggestions on Supreme Court Nominees serious?

Democrats were said by two officials familiar with what took place to have broached the names of at least three judges of Hispanic background who they believed had a strong chance of being approved without a tumultuous confirmation fight: Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Judge Edward Prado of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa of Federal District Court in Texas. Mr. Leahy would not confirm that those names were mentioned, but said he saw them as strong candidates. These particular judges have not been among the top possible nominees mentioned by Republican allies of the White House. . . .

This is what I sent to the Times:

Dear Letters Editor:

Your article makes the Democrats' suggestions on whom Bush should nominate for the Supreme Court look more serious than they actually are (Bush Says He Might Consider Judicial Newcomers for High Court, July 13). For example, the piece ignores that Judge Sonia Sotomayor was nominated for the circuit court by President Clinton. The Almanac of the Federal Judiciary surveys lawyers who practice before judges on the judges political views and rates Sotomayor as either a moderate or neutral politically and Ricardo Hinojosa as a moderate. Only Edward Prado is viewed by any of the practicing lawyers as conservative, and the views of him are evenly split between viewing him as conservative and neutral.

Compare this with Senator Orin Hatch’s suggestions to President Clinton of Stephen Breyer and Ruth Ginsberg. Both were strong liberals, with Breyer having served as Senator Kennedy's Special Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee and Ginsberg having been the general counsel for the ACLU.

Sincerely,


John R. Lott, Jr.