[BlackElk]

There was the case out of my original hometown of New Haven, CT, involving its racial spoils system for fire department promotions (Ricci vs. DeStefano???). Sotomayor sat on the panel of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that heard the case and ruled in favor of the racial spoils system by a vote of 2-1. Sotomayor wrote an opinion and I believe it was the decision of the court. The dissenting judge was a Democrat appointed by Slick Willie. That judge is Jose Cabranes, a former in house counsel for Yale University. His dissent was used against her in her SCOTUS confirmation. IIRC, Judge Cabranes (himself a Puerto Rican and a very fine man) flayed her alive for expressing her opinion without meaningful reference to judicial precedent and that she was merely letting her political prejudices play in the yard.

Same "wise Latina."

SCOTUS did the unthinkable and overruled this "affirmative action" decision and recognized that even Caucasian firefighters have rights, even in New Haven. What am I missing? Or am I right?

[okie01]

Judge Cabranes (himself a Puerto Rican and a very fine man) flayed her alive for expressing her opinion without meaningful reference to judicial precedent and that she was merely letting her political prejudices play in the yard.

I recalled that case, in partricular. The damning thing was, she failed to cite any precedents for her decision; it was merely a matter of "her opinion".

As I recollect, the same criticism was made of several of her other reversed decisions.