History was made today. Judge Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed after a Senate vote of 68-31. In reading this editorial from the Washington Post, I was struck by this part:

“Yet 31 Republicans could not bring themselves to vote for her. Some criticized her vote against white firefighters in a reverse-discrimination case. Others were concerned about her decision against two New York state property owners whose land was seized by a township and handed over to a private developer intent on building a shopping center. Others worried that she was not sympathetic enough to the rights of gun owners.

These senators were within their rights to dislike the outcomes, but they were wrong to overlook the fact that in each of these cases Judge Sotomayor either followed settled law or appropriately exercised judgment that was well within the mainstream.”

Our community would be wise to note those 31 Senators who opted to pass on Judge Sotomayor. If we have some institutional memory, we can apply this knowledge down the line.

If you want to watch more history making this weekend, Sonia Maria Sotomayor will be sworn in on Saturday, August 8 at 11 am eastern by Chief Justice Roberts. There will be a private swearing in with a public ceremony for television cameras. Check local listings and of course the internet news sites for more details.