Breaking News: Obama Names First Latina U.S. Supreme Court Justice!

President Obama has named Federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor (54) to be his nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed, Sotomayor will be the first Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court Justice in U.S. history.

Sotomayor is a brilliant and highly qualified nominee. She is a judge on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. She is considered a political centrist by the American Bar Association Journal and others. Sotomayor was nominated on November 27, 1991, by President George H. W. Bush to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. On June 25, 1997, she was nominated by former President Bill Clinton to the seat she now holds.

Sotomayor was born in The Bronx, New York, to Puerto Rican parents. She grew up in a housing project in the South Bronx, a short walk from Yankee Stadium. She was diagnosed with diabetes at age 8. Her father, a tool-and-die worker with a third-grade education, died the following year. Her mother, a nurse, raised Sotomayor and her younger brother, who is now a doctor.

Sotomayor graduated from Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx. She earned her A.B. from Princeton University, summa cum laude, in 1976, where she won the Pyne Prize, the highest general award given to Princeton undergraduates. Sotomayor obtained her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979, where she was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. Sotomayor then served as an Assistant District Attorney under prominent New York County District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, prosecuting robberies, assaults, murders, police brutality, and child pornography cases. In 1984, she entered private practice, making partner at the commercial litigation firm of Pavia & Harcourt, where she specialized in intellectual property litigation. Robyn Kar, who clerked for Sotomayor from 1998 to 1999, described her as a "warm, extraordinarily kind and caring person."
In 1998, for her current seat, the New York judge won the support of 25 Republicans, including eight senators who still serve. If Sotomayor is able to maintain the support of just a few of those GOP senators this year, Senate Republicans would face an almost impossible task in defeating her nomination, even by filibuster, which requires 40 votes. Currently, Republicans hold 39 senate seats. The president has said he hopes hearings will be held in July, with the confirmation completed before Congress leaves for the summer.

In the meantime, right wing extremist pundits have already started their attack against this brilliant, summa cum laude, highly qualified judge. Both Jeffrey Rosen and Mark Krikorian have called her dumb and obnoxious, admittedly without studying any of her rulings and instead relying on their own biased opinions and so-called anonymous sources. They both racistly added that the ONLY reason she is being named is because she is a Hispanic Woman. Their remarks are so typical of good ole boys. They find it hard to believe that any woman or any minority can be brilliant and qualified and should be candidates for high nominations. Rosen and Krikorian prove what racist cavemen they truly are!

Happy Memorial Day: Latinos Proudly Contribute to Principles of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness!

American Hispanics have a proud history of serving in the US Military. Over 500,000 Hispanic soldiers served in World War II, and nearly 50 Latinos have won our nation’s highest award, the Congressional Medal of Honor. More than 60,000 Hispanics were on active duty in 2003 and another two million are veterans of the U.S. military. Many have also been honored with American citizenship as a result of their military service; more than 30,000 immigrants who have served in the military have become U.S. citizens through a special wartime military naturalization statute.
In Iraq, Hispanics have a death risk about 20 percent higher than non-Hispanics.
Latinos make up 10 percent of the actively enlisted military forces. They are over-represented in the categories that get the most dangerous assignments -- infantry, gun crews and seamanship -- and make up over 20 percent of the front lines.
Millions of Hispanics have a Proud Tradition of Service in the U.S. Military, and thousands today are fighting on behalf of this nation, regardless of their citizenship status. Their bravery and sacrifice, along with that of their fellow soldiers, should be recognized and honored.

Hispanic Heritage Month - September 15 - October 15

America is a country of Immigrants and we have long celebrated our diversity. Examples of Celebrations include:

. In 1926, Negro History Week, which evolved into Black History month (February) was originated. Historian Carter Woodson chose the second week of February because it marked the birthdays of two Americans who greatly influenced the lives and social condition of African Americans: former President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

. Irish Americans and all Americans celebrate St. Patricks Day on March 17, as an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (circa 385–461 AD), one of the patron saints of Ireland. We celebrate with parades, festivals, corned beef and cabbage and green beer.

. Americans celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 Oct 15. We recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States and to celebrate Hispanic heritage and culture. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988 on the approval of Public Law 100-402.
"September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. They all declared independence in 1821. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively."

Let all Americans take the time to celebrate the rich cultural diversity in our Nation!

E pluribus unum: out of many one. One state made of many states. One culture made of many cultures. One tribe made of many tribes. One clan made of many clans. One family made of many families. Made of individuals as unique and precious as life itself.

Soap Opera Politics Vol 1, Issue 9: McBush Courts Latino Voters! Si Se Puede!

As Obama and Hillary are duking it out until the end, McCain and the Prez are busy courting the Latino Voters! Here are 2 recent articles. 1st, McCain panders. In the 2nd article, the Prez serenades for votes.
BREAKING NEWS: McCain scheduled to appear at NCLR ("La Raza") Convention in July.

CNN Reports:

Sen. John McCain said Monday the tenor of the immigration debate has hurt the way Hispanic voters view the Republican Party. Sen. John McCain lauched a Spanish-language Web site on Monday. "I believe the majority of Hispanics share our view that the border must be secured, and the border must be secured first," McCain said in Phoenix, Arizona. "But they also want us to have an attitude which I think most Americans do, that these are God's children and they must be taken care of."
The senator from Arizona used Cinco de Mayo as a launching pad for a new Spanish-language Web site on Monday, and he emphasized his stance on immigration and border security as he tried to court the Hispanic vote. Republican strategists have said McCain has to do well with Hispanic voters to win in November. When President Bush was re-elected in 2004, he received 44 percent of the Hispanic vote, but that was before the divisive political debate erupted over illegal immigration. McCain is seen as a moderate Republican when it comes to immigration reform, but the conservative base of his party has taken a hard-line approach on the issue. In 2005, McCain angered some in his party when he and Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy unsuccessfully pushed for a comprehensive immigration reform bill that included a path to citizenship.
McCain now says he would focus first on securing the borders before offering other ways to deal with illegal immigration. McCain on Monday empathized with Hispanics who have been mistreated and said low-income Hispanics are often the first to lose their jobs when someone come to the United States illegally.

Article 2 - WTOPNews:

Bush praises Mexican Americans

May 5, 2008 - 10:03pm By SUZANNE GAMBOA Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush wished a gathering of dinner guests a "Feliz Cinco de Maya" Monday in his final White House celebration of the Mexican holiday _ slightly erring in his Spanish, but serving up a reminder of how he snared Hispanic votes in the last presidential election. While the heated immigration debate has caused some strain between the United States and Mexico, Bush was more conciliatory Monday. He said Cinco de Mayo is a chance to prove the two countries are "connected by more than geography." He referred correctly to the day, Cinco de Mayo, in other parts of his brief speech. "We share an interest in making sure our people are prosperous and safe," Bush said of Mexico. "In America, we deeply value the culture and contributions of Mexican Americans. The United States is a richer place, a more vibrant place because people who claim Mexican heritage are now called United States citizens. ... We consider ourselves fortunate that Mexico is a friend and a neighbor."

...The band later backed Spanish singer Shaila Durcal, who sang three songs for the crowd, including the Mexican classic "Volver, Volver." (I´ll return to you..)

Bush has held Cinco de Mayo celebrations since arriving at the White House in 2001, in part as a symbol of the priority he gave the U.S. relationship with Mexico and his effort to curry favor with the Hispanic community. But as he departs, the Republican Party is anxious about losing Hispanic votes in the November elections. Some Hispanics feel anti-immigrant sentiment has become anti-Hispanic as well. In Phoenix on Monday, Republican John McCain acknowledged the focus on illegal immigration during the GOP primary had hurt his party's image among Hispanics.

My Question for McCain: If you care about Latino Voters, then Announce your Opposition to Sheriff Arpaipo´s Racial Profiling Tactics! IF you do not do this, THEN we will know you are only a Politician and making FALSE PROMISES!!

Arizona is YOUR State! RENOUNCE Arpaio and Latinos will acknowledge you are SERIOUS in supporting our issues and NOT merely pandering as a politician!!

SENATOR MCCAIN, YOU ARE INVITED HERE TO MY BLOG TO RESPOND TO THIS ISSUE AND SPEAK WITH OUR COMMENTERS! WE ARE AN INTERNATIONAL BLOG AND LINKED TO BLOGS ACROSS THE NATION AND THE WORLD. SENATOR MCCAIN. WE ARE AWAITING YOUR ANSWER.

ANTIs Bogus Arguments Attempt to Stir Up Antagonism between Hispanics and African Americans!

I have been participating on a few political and immigration blogs this weekend. On a few of the blogs, the ANTI side continues to blame the illegal immigrants for lower wages for African Americans. They cite various wage studies, however they never blame the true culprits, the greedy employers. To understand this, we should look at a very real and current example. Let´s look at what is happening in Detroit right now.

GM and Chrysler just had massive auto worker layoffs. I suggested to one ANTI responder on the Reich Blog to "READ THIS AND WEEP then try, in your farthest fetched imagination, to try and blame Illegal Immigrants for Reduced Wages of African Americans!! I wonder how Professor B will work this into his figures!"

US auto workers denounce UAW betrayal at Ford “The union is so intertwined with the company they are giving away the whole store”By Jerry White, 6 November 2007Ford workers reacted with disgust and anger Monday as they learned further details about the four-year labor agreement that the United Auto Workers union reached with Ford Motor Company over the weekend. The new contract covers 54,000 workers employed by the second largest US automaker.The concessions go even further than the historic rollbacks granted to General Motors and Chrysler. The contract will allow Ford to accelerate its plans to eliminate tens of thousands of jobs and replace higher-paid workers with a smaller, more brutally exploited workforce, making half the wages.

Another Article - Wall Street Journal: Ford Looks to Trim Up to 13,000 More Jobs

One of Ford's goals with the latest buyouts is to replace many workers with new employees who will earn a lower wage under terms of its recently negotiated labor agreement. New hires will earn a little more than $14 an hour, about half of what current union workers earn. That was a key cog in the deal that helped Ford to narrow its competitive cost-gap with nonunionized Asian rivals such as Toyota Motor Corp. The number of these so-called second-tier wage workers is capped at 20% of Ford's work force under terms of the new pact.Ford hopes to replace all workers at its Rawsonville and Sterling plants outside Detroit with lower-wage hires, a person familiar with the matter said. Those jobs don't count toward the 20% cap on lower-wage workers under the labor accord.