Sotomayor Favored for Top Court, Quinnipiac Poll Says
By Kristin Jensen
June 4 (Bloomberg) -- Americans approve of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor by a 2-1 margin, according to a poll of voters.
President Barack Obama’s choice to fill the seat of retiring Justice David Souter won the approval of 55 percent of the more than 3,000 voters polled, Quinnipiac University said in a statement. Twenty-five percent disapproved.
The White House delivered Sotomayor’s response to a congressional questionnaire to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has said it will make the material public. Included is Sotomayor’s list of what she believes are her 10 most important cases as well speeches and personal financial information.
Democrats are calling for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings next month on the nomination and confirmation before the Senate takes its August recess. Republicans want to hold off until September. The schedule for the hearings hasn’t been announced.
For a third straight day, Sotomayor, 54, paid private visits today to the senators who will decide whether she will be confirmed. Democratic senators yesterday lauded her abilities, and she drew compliments as well from Republican Senators Olympia Snowe of Maine and Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.
Today, Texas Senator John Cornyn, a Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said he hopes there won’t be a filibuster to impede a vote on the nomination of Sotomayor. Cornyn accused Democrats of using the tactic to block judges and, after meeting with Sotomayor, told reporters, “I pledged to her that we would break that cycle.”
Democratic Control
Democrats control the Senate 59-40, one vote shy of the number needed to cut off filibuster stalling tactics.
Sotomayor, a federal appeals court judge, is trying to dispel other Republicans’ concerns. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham yesterday repeated that he was troubled by a speech she made in 2001 in which she suggested a “wise Latina woman” would reach “better” rulings than white males.
Snowe told reporters yesterday there was nothing that came up during her meeting with Sotomayor that concerned her. Snowe called the judge a “very passionate advocate” and said Sotomayor emphasized her respect for precedent.
Obama nominated Sotomayor to become the first Hispanic on the high court and its third woman ever.
To contact the reporter on this story: Kristin Jensen in Washington at kjensen@bloomberg.net
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