Jun 1, 2009 6:49 pm US/Eastern
S. Florida Puerto Rican Leaders Support Sotomayor
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor makes remarks after being named by U.S. President Barack Obama as his choice to replace retiring Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court during an announcement in the East Room of the White House May 26, 2009.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Leaders of South Florida's Puerto Rican community have come out in support of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.
"We think that it's important that the newspapers and the naysayers stop throwing rocks at this nomination," Luis DeRosa, President of the South Florida Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce told
CBS4's Jim Berry.
DeRosa was joined by a coalition of Puerto Rican business leaders Monday morning at a Miami agency that provides health care to a local Puerto Rican community that's 250 thousand strong. The group felt compelled to defend the first Hispanic nominee to the Supreme Court from the early onslaught of skepticism.
"We feel that our culture and our heritage are being honored with the through the leadership of this terrific woman," said Lucy Delvalle.
Congressman Kendrick Meek attended the gathering to lend his political support. He said while he supported Sotomayor for a seat on the high court, he could not defend her remarks from years ago that as a Latina woman she was better suited to rule on some cases than a white man.
"I know how folks can sometimes say things that do not necessarily speak to your character," said Meek, "I am not condoning what she said. I thought it was a poor choice of words that she used."
Some Puerto Rican leaders have said they are troubled by some early criticism of Sotomayor has been getting from South Florida's Cuban community. They said they have supported Cuban causes in the past and would now like to see some of that support reciprocated for Sotomayor.
While Sotomayor is expected to face some tough questioning during confirmation hearings this summer, most expect she will ultimately be confirmed. The larger question could be whether her approval will come at the expense of more political division.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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