Eideard

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor got a boost in what is expected to be a relatively easy road to Senate confirmation when an influential U.S. lawyer’s group gave her its top rating.

The American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary based its unanimous “well qualified” evaluation on a review of the integrity, competence and judicial temperament of Sotomayor, a federal judge for 17 years who seems headed to become the first Hispanic on the highest U.S. court…

Sotomayor is expected to win confirmation by the full Democratic-led Senate, perhaps overwhelmingly, to replace David Souter, who recently retired. Her hearings begin on Monday.

Sotomayor, 54, would likely not change the balance on the often divided nine-member court. Like Souter, she is seen as a liberal though Democrats insist she is mainstream.

Liberalism in most aspects of criminal and civil law are mainstream in America. Those who don’t admit it – oppose it. Simple enough.

There is little difference between Left and Right in enforcing law. There is significant difference in moving it forward into contemporary life. The reactionaries on the Supreme Court – beholden to their Republican masters – try their damndest to push the life of our society back to the 18th Century.

The ABA, with more than 400,000 members, describes itself as the world’s largest voluntary professional membership organization. Founded in 1878, it has been providing evaluations of judicial nominees since 1953, a spokeswoman said.

Clarence Thomas is the only current member of the Supreme Court not to receive a “well qualified” from the ABA. He was rated a notch below at “qualified,” the spokeswoman said.