A Supreme Court Justice who rides a bike?

Judge Sotomayor, “bicycle rider”.
(Photo: Stacey Ilys/WhiteHouse.gov)

I know there are a lot more important things to consider when picking a potential Supreme Court Justice, but the fact that Judge Sonia Sotomayor rides a bike is kind of cool.

Check out this snip from a story that went out on the AP wire yesterday (emphasis mine):

“Where humanizing was needed, Democrat Chuck Schumer, the senior senator from Sotomayor’s home state and by tradition her sponsor, was on the job.

“She’s a very human person,” Schumer told reporters after their meeting. They talked New York, he said. “She’s a bicycle rider, I’m a bicycle rider. We talked a little bit about our favorite routes.”

There was also a fair bit of substance discussed during the meetings…”

Story continues below

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Wait, chatting about bike routes isn’t “substance?”. (kidding)

I can see it now, Judge Sotomayor and President Obama discussing the weighty issues of our time on a lunch break bike ride down the C & O Canal Trail. Can you imagine the security detail on that one?!

If you want more substance, read the full article here.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, contact me via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a paying subscriber.

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Matt Picio
15 years ago

Can’t be any worse than the security detail when Bush rode his mountain bike.

Of course, I’d like to think that when Obama rides, he doesn’t typically mow down Scottish police officers

Aaron
Aaron
15 years ago

Jonathan,
‘there are a lot more important things to consider when picking a potential Supreme Court Justice’ REALLY?
ha ha

Paul Tay
15 years ago

SCOTUS Cycle Chic, anyone?

amos
15 years ago

Let’s not be so quick to judge. I think the fact that she rides a bike is really supreme. This topic is really appealing, I mean the article really court my eye.

Pun-ishment ride anyone?

Snowflake Seven
Snowflake Seven
15 years ago

“She’s a very human person,”

Hilarious! And here I was concerned she might be reptile person, vegetable person or Klingon person.

Brian, Seattle
Brian, Seattle
15 years ago
Nicky V
15 years ago

Amos #4,

JUSTICE you consider yourself to be clever, I can fit a pun INNOCENT……..tence or two.

Corey
Corey
15 years ago

That’s nice, but the Grand Wizard says she’s a racist.

amos
15 years ago

Oh, it’s on…

I’m not ruling out the possibility that you are funny. I just wanted to get confirmation that you are, in fact hearing how clever I am, just in case you missed it.

🙂

Nicky V
15 years ago

Like Donkey Kong.

My puns ARRAIGNING down on you like blows to the head. BAILIFF you really want to, INDICT trust you will. So LAWng.

coyote
coyote
15 years ago

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion [as a judge] than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”

-Sonia Sotomayor

So if this comment isn’t racist I guess this one wouldn’t be either: “I would hope that a wise white man with the richness of his experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion [as a judge] than a Latina woman who hasn’t lived that life.”

peace

amos
15 years ago

I don’t know, I’m a little fed up with all of this. I see this as attorney-ng point for us to set the bar a little higher.

cant touch this.

Nicky V
15 years ago

OATH thank you! I SWEAR I’m laughing OUTLAWED over here! “Gavel gavel gavel!”

steve
steve
15 years ago

coyote #10

Of course she is a racist and sexist. So what? Half the court is composed of racist, sexist old white men. Seems like a good balance to have a racist, minority woman even just for contrast.

And as far as the biking thing goes, let’s not forget that George W rides regularly.

old&slow
old&slow
15 years ago

Coyote, Do you cherry pick all your quotes. Can I go back and research everything you have said for the last 20 years and find something I don’t like. Do you get all your info from Rush or do you have a brain. Sotomeyer has been a judge for 15 years, she was first appointed by Bush Sr. She has ruled on 96 discrimination cases and ruled against the plaintif 90% of the time. In other words, her rulings were not race based at all! Go backto researching whether Obama is citizen, go tea bagging with your friends and leave the rest of us alone!

Afro Biker
Afro Biker
15 years ago

And I’m sure this latina with the richness of her experiences is much more wise than I when it comes to matters of biking. whoopee.

wsbob
wsbob
15 years ago

A columnist (can’t remember which one)critical of Sotomyer, used that quote to point out her supposed racism. The columnist though, didn’t include or refer to the original source of the quote for context.

Obviously, a lot of conservatives and republicans aren’t thrilled about this person for supreme court justice, so they can be expected to get a little creative in their efforts to remove her from consideration.

Paul Tay
15 years ago

Hopefully, she has the judicial discretion not to roll in SPANDEX. 😛

a.O
a.O
15 years ago

You know you have a PR problem when leading members of your party give quotes to the press such as: “She’s a very human person.”

Although Old&Slow (#15) is correct to point out that her record on discrimination cases shows that she is able to apply the law fairly, we have had conservative nominees fail confirmation for far less than her racist statement (see #11). But, that’s politics.

wsbob
wsbob
15 years ago

In light of the discussion about Sotomyer, her experience and qualifications to be a supreme court justice, and questions about controversial statement she made that has raised the issue of racism:

The assets of common sense and experience

This is an Oregonian guest opinion column by Michael Marcus, a Multnomah County circuit court judge