BARACK Obama yesterday put flesh on the bones of his promise to make America's governance more inclusive by nominating a Hispanic judge, Sonia Sotomayor, to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court.
Ms Sotomayor, born to poor immigrants from Puerto Rico in New York, would be the first Hispanic ever to serve on America's top legal body and only the third woman to hold the position if her nomination is confirmed by the Senate.
Mr Obama descri
bed her as "an inspiring woman who I believe will make a great justice".
Ms Sotomayor, 54, said: "I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences."
Tough confirmation hearings were predicted yesterday, with Republican senators likely to focus on a statement she made back in 2000 that the sex and ethnic origins of a judge "may and will make a difference in our judging".
In her statement, during a confirmation hearing as an appeals judge, she said: "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
For some critics, this statement, along with previous declarations by her that judges "make policy" indicate that she sees her role as political rather than strictly judicial.
"Judge Sotomayor is a liberal judicial activist of the first order who thinks her own personal political agenda is more important than the law as written," said Wendy Long, counsel to the Judicial Confirmation Network. "She thinks that judges should dictate policy".
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said the Republicans "will thoroughly examine her record to ensure she understands that the role of a jurist in our democracy is to apply the law evenhandedly, despite their own feelings or personal or political preferences".
Supporters say Ms Sotomayor will bring a much-needed new perspective to an institution traditionally dominated by white male justices.
"Its an important step for the United States," said Princeton law professor Sherrilyn Ifill. "She's bringing something to the court."
They also point to her background as a rags-to-riches story that will affirm the ability of ordinary Americans to rise to the top.
Born in New York's Bronx, her father died when she was nine, a year after she was diagnosed as diabetic.
But her mother took two jobs to raise the money to pay for her education, and Ms Sotomayor secured places in Princeton University and later Yale Law School.
She worked as a prosecutor in New York before becoming a judge and later an appeals judge on the Second Circuit, covering New York and neighbouring states.
Mr Obama highlighted the fact that she would be the only member of the Supreme Court to have had experience as a trial lawyer.
However, her appointment will not change the political balance of the court, which is conservative, as she replaces another liberal, Judge David Souter, leaving the court with five conservatives and four liberals.
More intriguing is that she would bring to six the number of Catholics serving on the court, along with two Jewish members and one Protestant, possibly impacting on decisions on issues including abortion and gay marriage.
