Response from Senator Cornyn

[AEA]

I wrote to John Cornyn a while back and suggested that he try to do a little better at blocking the confirmation of Sotomayor than he did with Holder. today I received his reply below:

Dear Mr. XXXXX,

Thank you for contacting me about the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this important matter.

As you know, on May 26, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the United States Supreme Court. As your Senator, and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, it is my constitutional duty to carefully review the record and qualifications of each judicial nominee submitted for approval by the President. Because Judge Sotomayor would serve for life if she is confirmed, it is essential that the Senate conduct a full and fair review of her record. Judge Sotomayor's confirmation hearing is scheduled for July 13, 2009, and you may be certain that I will work to ensure that her hearing is conducted in a dignified and respectful manner.

I do not believe that it is appropriate for anyone to pre-judge or pre-confirm Judge Sotomayor; however, it is the constitutional duty of the Senate to thoroughly review the record of all judicial nominees and provide advice and consent. I have identified several issues of concern with Judge Sotomayor's record that deserve further explanation, including whether Judge Sotomayor believes that the right to bear arms is an individual and fundamental right of all citizens. Americans should be informed as to whether Judge Sotomayor will uphold one of the fundamental liberties enshrined in the Bill of Rights, the right to keep and bear arms. Additionally, Judge Sotomayor's views on the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution—which protects against the unjust seizure of private property—deserve further explanation. She will be asked whether she believes the Constitution permits the government to seize private property from its citizens for the benefit of other private parties. I strongly believe that the protection of homes, small businesses, and other private property against unreasonable government seizure and other government interference is a fundamental constitutional principle and core commitment of our nation’s Founders.

Finally, Judge Sotomayor should state her interpretation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution which provides that "no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Ongoing cases before the Supreme Court involve this protection and I believe that Americans deserve to know whether Judge Sotomayor's philosophy lies within that of the judicial mainstream. All citizens should be informed as to whether Judge Sotomayor will be a justice for all or a justice for a few. It is my hope that Judge Sotomayor will prove herself to possess the impartiality, integrity, legal expertise, and judicial temperament that we expect from those that sit on our highest court. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I will keep your views in mind as I continue working with my colleagues to conduct a thorough and respectful confirmation process in the Senate.

I appreciate having the opportunity to represent the interests of Texans in the United States Senate. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Sincerely,

JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator

[joe817]

Impressive letter! At first I thought it would be a canned letter sent out to everyone. But in reading, it addressed your issues very well.

I look forward to watching the confirmations on CSPAN. Thanks AEA!

[LarryH]

It is a canned letter/email. I received virtually the same one.

[AEA]

Unfortunately his actions will be a canned effort as well and another Anti goes on the Supreme Court for LIFE!

[Oldgringo]

It is sad but the first priority of our elected officials is to get re-elected.

[Reloader]

The same as the one I got word for word...He will vote for Sotemayor.

[stevie_d_64]

The same as the one I got word for word...He will vote for Sotemayor.

Whether he does or does not, is not that important...The committee will beat her up as much as possible, and send her to the Senate afterwards...

The real vote will be in the full Senate...Unfortunately, she will be confirmed and "replace" a liberal justice...The balance of the court will not change as I see it...

What we need to be aware of is that if Scalia, Thomas and even Alito or Roberts decide to do something...We may have a problem...

Ginsburg and Stevens will probably be another couple of opportunities for Obama to replace them...Those will also be replacements of a liberal/progressive justices...

Just my opinion...

[Reloader]

Cornyn also sits on the Senate Judiciary Committe, which recommends prospects for the Supremes..

[TheArmedFarmer]

It is my hope that Judge Sotomayor will prove herself

Great... He's hoping she'll answer the questions "the right way" so that he can justify voting to confirm this monster.

[ELB]

This is really a sniveling thread.

Cornyn was THE key opponent of the Holder confirmation. He got the Judiciary Panel vote on him delayed, got out information on Holder's selling pardons for votes to free the Puerto Rican terrorists, etc etc, and when the vote came, he voted against Holder both in the panel -- one of only two to do so (Coburn was the other) -- and in the full senate. You can go google on Cornyn and Holder's confirmation, and you will page after page of the lefties whining about what a meanie Cornyn was wrt Holder's confirmation. The snarky comment above about "try a little harder" this time was juvenile and unintelligent.

Cornyn got out and worked hard to defeat Eric Holder. How many of you did? How many wrote to Cornyn and encouraged him, then thanked him for his efforts? How many contributed $$ to his next campaign? How many contributed to campaigns in other states so we will have conservative senators at the next elections? How many did anything besides write whiny posts in a forum some place? And now you want whimper about Cornyn and Sotomayor, when it is pretty darn clear the Demos can put her in regardless of what Cornyn does or doesn't do (meet Senator Franken. Anyone here try to help Norm Coleman?). I don't know if he is keeping his powder dry until the hearings, or has decided to save it for another battle, but I will trust him over any poster in this thread.

Obama and the Democrats are running this country because they deserve to. They worked harder, didn't just sit around complaining at the Daily Kos, they got out voters and $$, often by hook or crook, but they got it done. Republicans and conservatives got out-gunned, out-smarted, and deserved to lose. Republicans -- or maybe the Tea Party -- will maybe get back in when the fact that Obama and the Demos really have no idea what they are doing sinks in to the rest of the country. That is, when we are a wreck. Of course, we in the conservative wing won't be any smarter or in any better shape than we are now, having urinated all over our conservative leaders for not being fanatical on every issue, we'll just look like the lesser of two evils when compared to the smoking hole the left made in this country.

[stroo]

Great post. Couldn't have said it better. We need to quit shooting our own.

[CWOOD]

This is really a sniveling thread.

Cornyn was THE key opponent of the Holder confirmation. He got the Judiciary Panel vote on him delayed, got out information on Holder's selling pardons for votes to free the Puerto Rican terrorists, etc etc, and when the vote came, he voted against Holder both in the panel -- one of only two to do so (Coburn was the other) -- and in the full senate. You can go google on Cornyn and Holder's confirmation, and you will page after page of the lefties whining about what a meanie Cornyn was wrt Holder's confirmation. The snarky comment above about "try a little harder" this time was juvenile and unintelligent.

Cornyn got out and worked hard to defeat Eric Holder. How many of you did? How many wrote to Cornyn and encouraged him, then thanked him for his efforts? How many contributed $$ to his next campaign? How many contributed to campaigns in other states so we will have conservative senators at the next elections? How many did anything besides write whiny posts in a forum some place? And now you want whimper about Cornyn and Sotomayor, when it is pretty darn clear the Demos can put her in regardless of what Cornyn does or doesn't do (meet Senator Franken. Anyone here try to help Norm Coleman?). I don't know if he is keeping his powder dry until the hearings, or has decided to save it for another battle, but I will trust him over any poster in this thread.

Obama and the Democrats are running this country because they deserve to. They worked harder, didn't just sit around complaining at the Daily Kos, they got out voters and $$, often by hook or crook, but they got it done. Republicans and conservatives got out-gunned, out-smarted, and deserved to lose. Republicans -- or maybe the Tea Party -- will maybe get back in when the fact that Obama and the Demos really have no idea what they are doing sinks in to the rest of the country. That is, when we are a wreck. Of course, we in the conservative wing won't be any smarter or in any better shape than we are now, having urinated all over our conservative leaders for not being fanatical on every issue, we'll just look like the lesser of two evils when compared to the smoking hole the left made in this country.

ELB is right.

Form Letter?...come on guys, give the Senator a break. Do you think you three guys are the only folks writing to Senator Cornyn? How many different ways is he supposed to come up with to say the same thing. He answered you concerns and seemed to share them. Is he supposed to handwrite a personal note to each constituent.

Of course he is going be fair and impartial...that is his job. He was Chief Justince of the Texas Supreme Court for goodness sakes. Would it sound better if he were to say that he would vote against here no matter what she said? Isn't that what we complain about regarding the other side?

I think Cornyn is a solid conservative and a pro 2A one at that. He has work hard since he has been in Washington and has really soared up the leadership of GOP and he has not sold himself or us down the river to do it.

Circular firing squads are not a productive means to advance our cause.

If he ends up voting to confirm Sotomayor, it will be because she did not display outrageous behaviour or egregious past conduct. It is the POTUS perogative to nominate folks to SCOTUS. We were all warned that this would be one of the most long lasting effects of our loss in the presidential election. As ELB said, we got whooped...bad. We didn't field as good a candidate as we could have. We didn't (as a group) get ourselves off of the couch to go vote as we should. We didn't raise enough money. We didn't promote our ideas as effectively as we should have and when we found someone who could and would (Gov. Palin) we stood by and let her get savaged and sidelined and didn't do a darn thing to counteract it. Winning/losing have consequences. This nominee is one of them.

[AEA]

Well, everyone has an opinion and we are getting quite a few of them here now.......

[frazzled]

Meh. he's part of the problem, not the solution. He was one of the key signers of the alternate republic budget proposal which really went out on a limb and proffered to cut $7bn more from the budget than Obama did. Way to step out and represent conservative principles there Captain Vague. He's part of the cesspool of the Washington Party now.

Remember if you keep voting for these guys you deserve the government you get.

[Purplehood]

It is my hope that Judge Sotomayor will prove herself

Great... He's hoping she'll answer the questions "the right way" so that he can justify voting to confirm this monster.

That is rich.