by Joel Wendland
In the debate now in motion over Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court, Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions just said something that makes me think he switched parties – and not to the Democrats.
In discussing Sotomayor's record, which he is using as a foundation for voting against her, Sessions said that he disagreed with one decision Sotomayor made in joining with others on the federal court she sits on regarding eminent domain. Eminent domain is a legal principle that gives government entities like a city or a county or the federal government the power to take over ownership of private property for various reasons and usually with compensation. Not controversial.
But Sen. Sessions stated that he disagrees with Sotomayor (despite the fact that her opinion was shared by various other members of the panel she is on) on this issue. Sessions said that he believes that "private property can only be taken over for public purposes."
Talk about an easy settlement of the property questions.
BTW, Sotomayor has more federal judicial experience than does any member of the Supreme Court since Reagan at the time of their appointment, including the right-wing extremists Roberts and Alito whom Sessions never ever considered to be less than qualified. It never occurred to him. Wise white men just don't bother him as much as wise Latinas.
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