Sotomayor's nomination fires up advocates on the left and right

By: Phil Gregory

President Obama’s decision to nominate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court is stirring interest groups on both sides of the political spectrum.

By: Phil Gregory

President Obama’s decision to nominate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court is stirring interest groups on both sides of the political spectrum.

Michael Ciccocioppo, the president of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, says he’s concerned Sotomayor will be another vote in support of abortion rights, and a judicial activist.

He says he disagrees with President Obama’s call for a Justice with “empathy.”

Ciccocioppo: That’s not the role of the Supreme Court, to be empathetic. The role of the Supreme Court is to look at the Constitution, to look at the law, and then to decide whether the law is Constitutional or not.

But the selection of Sotomayor is also drawing its share of more favorable reviews, including some from lawmakers and Latino groups in New Jersey.

Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to be the first Latina on the Supreme Court is being applauded by the first Hispanic woman elected to the New Jersey State Senate.

Senator Teresa Ruiz of Newark says Sotomayor would provide a different perspective at  the high court

Ruiz: She certainly signifies a fairness and equity in the sense of a more comprehensive and inclusive branch of government.

Latino organizations in Garden State say Sotomayor’s selection makes them proud. Assemblywoman Natalie Pou, the chair of the New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus, calls it a watershed moment for the state’s and the nation’s growing Latino Community.