An Impartial Justice?

" This year. Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor will begin Monday. Our next guest will be a witness for the minority she is syndicated columnist Linda Chavez. He joins us today live from Denver. Linda Chavez why are you gonna say when you get to there and that confirmation hearing room -- going to be on your mind what do you want to get across."

" Well I think my major concern about judge Sotomayor is whether or not she can act impartially or whether or not she's going to let her. Own policy preferences -- own personal opinions. Influence her decisions. Unfortunately she's given us some cause to believe that it's going to be the latter. Based on things she said both in speeches and things she's written but also. In terms of the way she's -- certain cases was -- an example of the kind of thing that you see coming that -- concerned. Well of course the most important decision that she's been involved in recently which causes me and others concerned. Is the New Haven firefighters case which was handed down by the Supreme Court just a matter for a few days ago. And in that Supreme Court decision. The Supreme Court reversed. Just judge Sotomayor not just on the merits of the case which involved. A promotion test that was given in which. White and Hispanic officers scored highly and -- you'd be promoted. But the city of New Haven said we're at throughout the results of the tests were not and abide by it and judge Sotomayor on the second circuit along with her. Fellow judges decided that the New Haven fire department was justified in doing that because they feared being sued. And so they actually reversed her not five to four on that particular provision. But they reversed her entirely. -- unanimously reversing her decision that the city was justified. Simply on the basis of -- of I can."

" Good question you you went through a confirmation hearing you got a little rough we all remember that I don't wanna bring up bad memories but. Dick do you see that going this -- that being that kind of confirmation hearing this time around."

" Well I've actually been through one confirmation hearing way back in the Reagan years I never got to the confirmation hearing process when I was nominated to be secretary of labor. I had given shelter to a Guatemalan woman who was in the country illegally and I withdrew my name. Rather than go through the confirmation process but I don't think it's going to be -- First of all you've got to very lopsided senate you've got enough votes to confirm her. But I do think as they're going to be some hard questions asked and they should be we should know whether or not she think justices of -- an impartial and if she doesn't she shouldn't be confirmed."

" I've got to run because again I'm a little out of time Linda Chavez always good to have you thank you very much. As Google in my."