Today’s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court of the United States is a very aggressive decision that will trigger a national debate on the issue of judicial activism.

The background and philosophy of Judge Sotomayor clearly puts the Constitution front and center.  How will this nominee view the Constitution and the rule of law?  Will she embrace her past statement that the “court of appeals is where policy is made?”  This nomination raises serious questions about the issue of legislating from the bench. 

We’re hopeful that members of the Senate will ask the tough questions about her judicial philosophy and temperament when the confirmation hearings get underway this summer.  The American people deserve to fully understand what kind of Justice is being nominated to serve on the nation’s highest court for decades to come.

We’ll have more to report in the days ahead after doing our own analysis of her judicial record and background.