InfoAnda - Sotomayor sidesteps on abortion, guns in grilling

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

NATO and Afghan troops kill 34 Taliban | International | | 28 May 2009
Britain's MI5 seeking real 'Q' | 18 April 2009
Gadgets galore as Somali pirates spur booming sector | 8 March 2010

Chelsea Clinton set for lavish, secretive wedding | 31 July 2010

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Sotomayor sidesteps on abortion, guns in grilling

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Africa Europe Latin America Middle East North America Search Search: Sotomayor sidesteps on abortion, guns in grilling By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS,Associated Press Writer AP - Thursday, July 16 WASHINGTON - Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor sidestepped volleys of pointed questions on abortion and gun rights from senators Wednesday, keeping her demeanor cool and her opinions mostly private as she neared the end of a marathon grilling on the road to all but sure confirmation. ADVERTISEMENT After some 10 hours of questioning by Judiciary Committee senators over two days, Sotomayor had yet to make a slip _ certainly not the gaffe that even Republicans concede would be necessary to derail her nomination to be the first Hispanic and third woman to serve on the high court. The appeals court judge, 55, avoided weighing in on any major issue that could come before her as a justice, instead using legal doctrine, carefully worded deflections and even humor to ward off efforts to pin her down. Appearing more at ease on her third day in the witness chair, Sotomayor defused a tense exchange on gun rights by joking about shooting a GOP critic and charmed Democratic supporters with nostalgic praise for fictional attorney Perry Mason. Republicans, frustrated in their attempts to undercut President Barack Obama's first high court choice, said they were still worried Sotomayor would bring bias and a political agenda to the bench. "It's muddled, confusing, backtracking on issue after issue," complained Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the Judiciary panel. "I frankly am a bit disappointed in the lack of clarity and consistency in her answers." Her rulings _ except for a much-debated reverse discrimination case _ have not shed much light on her positions either, though she is considered unlikely to disturb the Supreme Court balance in replacing generally liberal Justice David Souter. On abortion rights for example, Sotomayor has not ruled on any case that squarely confronts the issue. As an appeals court judge she dismissed a challenge to the so-called global gag rule on U.S. foreign aid, deciding against an abortion rights group. But in her opinion she used the phrases "anti-abortion" and "pro-choice," typically used by abortion rights supporters. The hearings are expected to conclude Thursday with testimony from outside witnesses, and a vote by the full Senate to confirm Sotomayor is expected in early August. That would allow her to don the robes of a justice before a scheduled hearing on Sept. 9 on a case involving federal campaign finance law. The cavernous hearing room on Capitol Hill was filled for a third straight day, and tourists waited in line outside for their few moments to witness history. Among the audience members sat Frank Ricci, a white New Haven, Conn., firefighter whose reverse discrimination claim was rejected by Sotomayor's court panel. The Supreme Court overturned that ruling late last month, and Republicans plan to showcase Ricci on Thursday as part of their effort to portray her as a judge who has let her biases trump the law. On Wednesday, Sotomayor declined repeatedly to respond to questions designed to elicit her personal and legal views about a woman's right to end a pregnancy, saying she couldn't address it in the abstract and wouldn't do so in any specific way since the issue is likely to come before the court. The Supreme Court in 1992 "reaffirmed the core holding of Roe v. Wade that a woman has a constitutional right to terminate her pregnancy in certain cases," Sotomayor told Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., adding that the ruling said the court should consider whether any state regulation "has an undue burden on the woman's constitutional right." But she refused to be drawn out by Coburn, a leading abortion-rights foe, on whether a late-term abortion would be appropriate, or whether technological advances that allow an early-term fetus to survive should have any bearing on the legal standard for ending a pregnancy. "All I can say to you is what the court's done and the standard that the court has applied," Sotomayor said. "We don't make policy choices on the court; we look at the case before us." Earlier, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked how the Obama administration could have known her position on the issue. "I was asked no question by anyone including the president about my views on any specific legal issue," she said. She was no more forthcoming on the issue when pressed by an abortion rights supporter, Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa. Asked whether Roe was a kind of "super-duper precedent," she didn't respond directly. On her second day fielding questions, Sotomayor sidestepped when Cornyn asked whether she stood by or disavowed a controversial 2001 remark that a "wise Latina" judge would often make better decisions than a white male. She said she stood by her explanation Tuesday that the words were a rhetorical flourish gone awry. Cornyn persisted, asking whether she would regret it if her audience of students understood her to be saying that the quality of a judge depended on race, gender or ethnicity. "I would regret that," she said of any misunderstanding of remarks that have caused more pre-confirmation controversy than any other issue. Sotomayor, appearing more relaxed on the third day of nationally televised Senate hearings, shared a few light moments with her interrogators while fielding questions on serious issues. Asked by Coburn whether the Second Amendment confers a right to personal self-defense, Sotomayor posed a hypothetical in which the senator threatened her with bodily harm and she went home to get a gun and shoot him. "I don't want to suggest I am, by the way," Sotomayor said, to laughter from the audience and Coburn. Coburn responded with his own jibe: "You'll have lots of 'splainin' to do.'" His remark echoed a refrain often heard on a 1950s situation comedy, "I Love Lucy," in which the main character's Cuban-born husband Ricky Ricardo would often say with exasperation, "Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do." At another point, when Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said she had run into Sotomayor's mother in a ladies' room and noted that she "has plenty of stories she'd like to share about you," Sotomayor begged the senator with a laugh, "Don't give her the chance!" And she shared a chuckle with the Senate's only professional comedian, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., about their mutual love of the TV series "Perry Mason." Asked by Franken at the close of his questioning which was the lone case the prosecutor Hamilton Burger won during the show's run, Sotomayor was at a loss. "Didn't the White House prepare you for that?" Franken asked with mock incredulity, referring to the meticulous rehearsals Obama's team held with Sotomayor to get her ready for her Senate grilling. "You're right," Sotomayor said. "But I was spending a lot of time on reviewing cases." ___ Associated Press Writers David Espo and Ann Sanner contributed to this report. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Sign in to recommend this article » 0 users recommend Related Articles: World Fed sees end to recession, eyes exit strategyAFP - Thursday, July 16 De facto Honduran leader sets conditions for exitAFP - Thursday, July 16 Space shuttle Endeavour blasts off from Cape CanaveralAFP - Thursday, July 16 Obama's Supreme Court pick treads careful lineReuters - Thursday, July 16 OAS says to keep up pressure on HondurasReuters - Thursday, July 16 Most Popular – World Viewed Jackson wasn't ready for London comeback: father Coroners seek records from Jackson skin doctor Jackson 'best father' ever, daughter tells the world Miniskirts, cleavage upset male SKoreans: survey Bangladesh crackdown on 'kings of genies' View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Thursday, 16 July 2009
168 people killed in Iran fiery plane crash
Top Russian activist murdered in Caucasus
Brazilians spend more time on web than US users: poll
UK jobless rate strikes 12-year high
British army chief calls for troop rise in Afghanistan
Robert Redford marries in Germany: report
Twitter 'uncool', teen researcher tells investors
L.A. Blogger Sentenced To Home Confinement For Leaking GNR Album Online
Israel soldiers reveal 'shoot first' policy in Gaza
North Korea says no dialogue without respect for sovereignty | International |
Israel says Lebanon blast a secret Hezbollah cache | International |
UN quits rebel Georgian region as mission ends
Gadhafi says Iran nuclear program to be supported
Elizabeth Taylor Hospitalized
Top Russia activist killed in Caucasus: officials
168 killed in Iran plane crash
Abducted Russian activist found dead: reports
Reports: Michael Jackson's Death Being Treated As A Homicide
Bomb in Iraq's Sadr City kills 5, wounds 28 | International |
Black Eyed Peas, Hannah Montana Top iTunes Chart
Suicide bomber kills 6 in Iraq's Anbar province
Oldest woman to give birth dies in Spain: report
New York City's Central Park Launches Celebrity-Infused Audio Guide
Iran opposition leader plans new political front
Sudan: Progress on southern peace satisfactory | International |
Iceland's parliament aims for late vote on EU bid | International |
Apple Sells Over 1.5 Billion Apps In First Year
French kidnapped for cash not politics: Somali minister
Billy Bob Thornton's Daughter To Remain In Jail Until Court Hearing
Writer Claims "Lost" Was Ripped Off From His Work
L'Oreal heiress faces court scrutiny of huge gifts | International |
Jackson Told Daughter That Someone Was Going To Murder Him, Claims Author
Maura Tierney Releases Statement On Health Troubles
Amazon sued over Kindle, claim alleges breakage | Technology |
Website to publish sensitive hacked Twitter info | Technology |
Senator Ricky Ricardo? Coburn evokes Lucy show
Microsoft's Bing gains on Yahoo, Google | Technology |
NASA to make sixth attempt for space shuttle launch
Recession sends Americans to the Internet | Technology |
THE INFLUENCE GAME: NFL players lobby Capitol Hill
Taiwan air force grounds F-5 fleet after fatal crash
Obama, Iraqi prime minister to meet next week
Religion news in brief
Powerful quake hits off NZealand, tsunami warning over
Indian, Pakistani officials hold talks
AT&T in initial labor pact for Midwest | Technology |
Sotomayor refers to precedent on abortion
Ex-Sinopec chief given suspended death penalty
Sotomayor: Judges shouldn't worry about popularity
China's Xinjiang death toll rises to 192: state media
Penalty phase opens in Phoenix Serial Shooter case
India tightens security in Mumbai
Trade ties 'at stake' in China spy row: Australia
Suspected insurgents kill 2 in southern Thailand
Chinese car makers surge on govt subsidy scheme
Pakistan's 6-mth T-bill yield falls to 11.5151 pct
US, China announce clean energy research center
Filipinos overseas sent record $1.48B home in May
Oldest Honda plant shifts to meeting green demand
Harry Potter works box office magic at midnight | Entertainment |
US calls on China to open markets
Judge throws out Trump lawsuit over his net worth | Entertainment |
LG Display to invest $2.6 bln for flat screens
Moby, MTV join EU climate change battle | Entertainment |
China forex reserves hit record $2.13 trln: bank
2 police wounded in new attack near Indonesia mine
A list of shootings at Freeport's Indonesian mine
Rivalries could be behind Indonesia mine killings
China accused of trying to stop Uighur film in Australia
Cyprus tourist arrivals dive amid recession
Nightime showing of Harry Potter film 'unsafe' in China's Urumqi
Security suspected in Indonesia gold mine killings
'Morally dangerous' Bruno banned in Ukraine
'Birthday Sex' singer Jeremih sees Diddy success
Robert Redford marries German girlfriend
Oasis to kick off Benicassim festival in Spain
Top cable programs for July 6-12
Latest Harry Potter film wins Vatican approval
EU teams up with MTV on climate change
Israel anti-missile system passes live fire test
Germany, Russia talks: gas, economy to dominate
Recession driving Americans online
Black boxes recovered from crashed Iranian plane | International |
Fed sees end to recession, eyes exit strategy
U.N., U.S. move to increase pressure on North Korea | International |
Iranian plane crashes into field, killing all 168
Space shuttle Endeavour blasts off
Porsche denies report of CEO stepping down
Israel says Lebanon blast a secret Hezbollah cache
U.S. raises fair treatment in China after Rio case | International |
India, Pakistan PMs to meet, Mumbai attacks cloud talks | International |
U.S. says offer to talk with Iran is not open-ended
Pressure builds on Japan PM; calls to quit may grow | International |
Bombs kill 11 in Iraq, highlight security fears
Former S.Korean Pres. Kim Dae-jung critically ill: media | International |
Mousavi: Protesters' blood will not go in vain
List of plane crashes in Iran
U.S. commander consults Pakistan on anti-Taliban campaign | International |
Australia's worst case scenario 6,000 H1N1 deaths | International |
Bomb in Iraq's Sadr City kills five
UN says south Lebanon weapons cache a violation
Honduras reimposes curfew amid protest threat | International |
'Difficult choices' ahead on Iran: Swedish FM
Smoke like a Turk? No more | International |
Historic court pick Sotomayor faces final grilling
Obama's Supreme Court pick treads careful line
Pressure mounts on Japan PM to resign
Microsoft stores to open near Apple stores in fall | Technology |
US commission seeks China Xinjiang sanctions
Police: 'Fight Club' inspired NYC Starbucks blast
U.N. and U.S. move to increase pressure on N.Korea
Strong 6.1-magnitude quake hits off Papua New Guinea: USGS
Sotomayor sidesteps on abortion, guns in grilling
Government PR campaign targets Chinese Muslims
Sotomayor hearing: Testing, testing ... hello?
Puppy love blooms on India dog dating websites | Technology |
Many can cope with news of higher Alzheimer's risk
Pakistan sees momentum in ties with India
Recession sends Americans to the Internet | Technology |
House plan boosts taxes on rich to 20-year high
July is deadliest for US-led forces in Afghanistan
Indonesian mine attacked again, road closed
14 killed in clashes in Swat as refugees return
China's economy bounces back with strong growth
N.Korea says no dialogue without respect for sovereignty
SKorea's POSCO mulls Vietnam steel mill takeover
Taiwan dollar at near 2-week high on risk appetite
China economy grows in first half: govt
S.Korean bonds plunge on U.S. lead
Seoul shares open up on earnings hopes, U.S. data
NZ manufacturing improves in June
Japan may face deflation through 2011: IMF
Abu Dhabi awards $9.2 bln gas contracts to foreign firms
Chinese workers in Poland protest over unpaid wages
Porridge, pasta help Tour cyclists beat 'bonks'
Doctors probed by state in Michael Jackson's death | Entertainment |
US writer publishing novel a 'tweet' at a time
Michael Jackson rules pop charts for 3rd week | Entertainment |
Sotomayor, Franken both 'Perry Mason' fans
All-Star Game scores ratings home run | Entertainment |
Dave Chappelle show draws thousands in Oregon
Q&A: Entourage creator changes show's focus | Entertainment |
Court: O'Keeffe museum has no right to Fisk U. art
Redford weds German girlfriend in private ceremony | Entertainment |
Brad Paisley, Alison Krauss to play White House
Maxwell ends recording hiatus with No. 1 album | Entertainment |
Reggaeton stars donate $25,000 to building homes
Lucas, Spielberg richest of Hollywood rich men | Entertainment |
Review: `Death in Love' is deadly to watch
Labor Pains pays off thanks to Lohan, Hines | Entertainment |
Vatican Museums to test evening opening
Cox to sell Travel Channel: sources | Entertainment |
Bavaria opens way for a beer and a smoke
Technical glitch likely cause of plane crash: Iran
British bank Lloyds slashes 1,200 more jobs: union
Bollywood tweets, blogs for the fans
Khmer Rouge trial hears harrowing tribunal testimony | International |
'Contact lenses' for animals
Iran's Mousavi to attend Friday prayers
Chechnya activist's murder sparks international outrage | International |
UK's Brown calls on Afghan army to pull its weight | International |
Orthodox Jews trash streets over state interference | International |
Nepal to free child soldiers from Maoist camps | International |
Iran opposition leader to attend Friday prayers | International |
U.S. Capitol police say suspect killed near Capitol
Loving pooch nurses baby pandas in China: report
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 664
Japanese living longer than ever: govt
Refusing bailout for CIT, gov't draws line in sand
China hits back on Rio Tinto 'spy' affair
Army: Soldiers in slayings faced intense combat
Bill would spend more to make college affordable
China warns Australia over Rio Tinto 'spy' case
Jury recommends life sentence in 'Alpha Dog' case
UN official killed in NW Pakistan: officials
Fire engulfs historic textile mill in Maine
India, Pakistan resolve to fight 'terror'
Senator holds up EPA nominee over climate study
'Back from dead' Briton's dad quashes hoax claims
3 killed in small plane crash in Southern Calif.
Microsoft stores to open near Apple stores in fall | Technology |
Clinton aims to deepen partnership with India
Trial begins for mother accused of killing 4 girls
Thai 'Yellow Shirts' protest terror charges: police
Pakistan's forex reserves fall to $12.24 bln
S.Korea LG Chem considers Daesan cracker expansion
China's economy grows 7.9% in stunning rebound
India's fraud-hit Satyam to restate accounts
Fitch cuts New Zealand rating outlook; kiwi tumbles
SKorean firms win lucrative orders in UAE
New video shows Jackson's head catching fire
India silent on Myanmar, eyes natural wealth
Museum battles to preserve moon suits for posterity
Seoul shares end higher led by techs, shipbuilders =2
30 Rock, Mad Men lead Emmy nominations | Entertainment |
Iraqi 'rap royalty' takes to the Baghdad stage
Singer Amy Winehouse and husband divorce | Entertainment |
Young authors tap adolescent angst in China
Harry Potter actor admits growing cannabis | Entertainment |
Top US officials to meet China PM on climate
French cheese comes to the Himalayas
Gentler `Bruno' to play in UK for younger teens
BBC's `Torchwood' returns with 5-part miniseries
Emmys boost nominees' field; who's the winner?
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01