O’Connor cheers prospect of another female justice
Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is continuing her media blitz in connection with the release of her new children’s book. This morning on MSNBC, she was asked about her thoughts on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.
O’Connor said she was happy to see a woman get the nod.
“I am,” O’Connor told Norah O’Donnell. “I was, as you probably know, somewhat disappointed that I wasn’t replaced by another woman because I served for over 10 years as the only woman on the Court. And it made a difference to me when we got another woman on the court – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And now she is alone again, and I’m sure that it will mean a great deal to her to have another woman.”
O’Connor brushed aside criticisms of some who say Sotomayor is simply an affirmative action pick.
“After all, at least 50 percent of all law school graduates these days are women,” the retired justice said. “And we have plenty of qualified women available to serve on the nation’s courts. And I think the public generally appears to agree, and thinks that is good idea.”
