Guest Column

LATINO-JEWISH AGENDA

On July 19, President George W. Bush nominated Judge John G. Roberts to replace Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in the Supreme Court. Roberts served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for two years. He also has a body of work from his four years as deputy solicitor general under President George H. W. Bush, but it is unclear how much can be made of his writings in that post because he was advocating for a client--the federal government--and not expressing his personal views.

So far, the nomination has ruffled few feathers in the American Jewish community. Many Jewish organizational leaders have decided to wait until after Roberts’ confirmation hearings later this summer before determining whether to officially endorse or oppose him. Most Jewish groups acknowledge that his views on issues--to the extent that they are known--are within what the groups consider acceptable bounds for a Supreme Court justice. At the same time, they say that not enough is known about Roberts’ legal ideology to judge him before the confirmation hearings. Many suggest that President Bush’s selection of Roberts may have been designed to avoid an immediate fight--and that Bush’s choice may even have been influenced by the fact that Jewish groups and other liberal advocates were ready to oppose an arch conservative. While Roberts is more conservative than most of the Jewish community on issues such as abortion and church- state separation, he is well-respected as a legal mind.

Within the Latino community, the Roberts nomination was met with surprise and disappointment by civic leaders who hoped that the president would take the opportunity to nominate the first-ever Hispanic judge. Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) regional affairs vice president Jimmie Reyna said that a Hispanic judge would have been a major step “for the Hispanic legal community, and as a result for the Latino community in general and for the United States.” Meanwhile, the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) expressed its “disappointment,” considering the “the wide array of qualified (Latino) candidates to serve on the Supreme Court.” The HNBA and other organizations are carefully reviewing Roberts' record, though he has not addressed issues related to immigration in the cases he has argued before the Supreme Court. "The court in the future will have to face some important issues, such as access to education for undocumented children, affirmative action, as well as voter and worker's rights," said Estuardo Rodríguez, coordinator of Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary.

But many Latino organizations are still holding out hope that Bush could appoint a Latino judge if there is another opening on the Supreme Court during his term in office. The candidates thought to be most plausible are Attorney General Alberto Gonzáles and Judge Emilio Garza from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, both first-generation Mexican Americans. “It’s not enough for the president to put forward a Latino name for the court,” said Maria Cardona, a public affairs specialist. “What is important to us is that the person who ultimately gets nominated will be fair, will protect the rights of the people.” Wrote Univision anchor Maria Elena Salinas, “As they were with the nomination of Miguel Estrada to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Latino political and civic groups are once again faced with the predicament of having to decide if they want a Latino named to a high court or someone who fits their ideological mold." According to Salinas, there are conflicting reports over whether there ever has in fact been a Hispanic Supreme Court justice. Justice Benjamin Nathan Cardozo, who served on the Supreme Court from 1932 to 1938, is considered by some to be a Latino. He was a Sephardic Jew born in New York, whose ancestors were from Portugal and England.

Information taken from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and NCM.

Source Courtesy of: American Jewish Community

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