And that's a good thing. Obama's short list for SCOTUS picks were all women; ergo:  Affirmative action choice.  She is an Hispanic who was on the list of women; ergo:  affirmative action choice.  Hooray for him.  He not only chose to make the Supreme Court look a bit more like America, but he will score some political points along the way by inviting Republicans to fight her nomination. 

  Affirmative action attempts to provide opportunity to minorities and women to allow our institutions to be more diverse in ethnicity and gender, thereby strengthening the fabric of ideas and policy and, in this case, legal opinions.  We have heard Sotomayor's opponents arguing that the President should have chosen the best candiadate; we have heard her adherents claim that she is the best candidate.  Phooey; there is no such thing as the best candidate, only really good (or some, come to think of it) really bad choices.  And almost always politics plays the largest part in a President's choice.  Ideology, geography, Party affiliation, etc. In Sotomayor's case, she has plenty of experience and intelligence.  She may not be the female liberal lion many of us wanted; perhaps a Diane Wood could be his next choice.

  But in the meantime, let's stop wincing at The Right's "affirmative action" charges, and say, "Yeppers; and it's about time."   The judge herself has been open and matter-of-fact about herself in this regard.  I do hope that during the hearings she can make it clear that, yes, she does have a uterus, and no, it does not in fact cause her to be hysterical.  And that yes, she has Latin Blood, but no, that does not make her "hot-blooded."  She seems to evidence quite a bit of wry, tongue-in-cheek humor.  Let's hope she uses it well.