As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold will be one of the senators questioning Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor during her confirmation hearings, which will take place later this summer. Sen. Feingold’s decision on whether or not to support the Sotomayor nomination will be based in part on her qualifications, judicial temperament, objectivity and integrity. Additionally, Sen. Feingold is also soliciting feedback from Wisconsinites about the nomination. In speaking of the nomination of Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, Sen. Feingold issued the following statement:
“My initial reaction to President Obama’s selection of Judge Sotomayor was very positive,” Feingold said. “By all accounts, she is a highly qualified and very experienced judge with a personal story that is a testament to the opportunities this country provides. But evaluating a nominee for the United States Supreme Court is a responsibility that must be taken very seriously considering the impact a Supreme Court Justice can have on our nation. And in addition to a thorough review of her record, the concerns and opinions of people in Wisconsin are very important to me and will be included in the decision making process.”
As mentioned earlier, Sen. Feingold wants feedback on the Sotomayor nomination from constituents, especially those constituents who are lawyers and law professors. Comments, questions, concerns, or anything else can be submitted at the special Supreme Court section of Sen. Feingold’s U.S. Senate website.
“Sen. Feingold wants feedback”
…Really? Or did you mean ‘Sen. Feingold wants vindication’? Remember… this a politician we’re talking about here…
Yes, he is a politician. But I’ve known few, if any politicians, who make such efforts to listen to and interact with their constituents. Sen. Feingold holds a listening session in each and every Wisconsin county once a year, and has done so every year he’s been in office. He’s offering this as a way to hear from the Wisconsin legal community — not surprising, considering that he himself is a lawyer, having graduated with honors from Harvard University Law School.
True, he has more personal interaction with voters, I just see it as smoke n mirrors.
Rabbit, I’m as cynical as anyone when it comes to politicians, but Feingold’s about as good as they get.