Well, it finally happened. Sonia Sotomayor is the new Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. She was confirmed by a vote of 68 to 31. She was sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. in an emotional exclusive ceremony at the Supreme Court. Bettie Baca, our writer for her intimate profile, was there with her husband Alex Rodriguez. It was a magical moment. Justice Sotomayor galvanized the Hispanic community in a manner that I had never seen before. Her support from our community was overwhelming. President Obama’s nomination of Judge Sotomayor will now stand as the most significant Hispanic appointment in our nation’s history. Nine republican Senators chose to support her nomination.

They voted in accord with a unanimous democrat vote. The attacks on now Justice Sotomayor were clearly a dress rehearsal for new nominees to come down the line. Some Senators believe that any nomination from President Obama has to be opposed. It is an indication of how Washington D.C. works these days. If you say yes, I say no!

I was deeply saddened by the no-vote of Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a person I greatly admire and has been a staunch supporter of Hispanics in the past. But I was inspired by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who made it clear that even though Justice Sotomayor would not have been his choice, he still voted for her because of her judicial record and because “elections have consequences.” The most disturbing issue during this nomination was the influence exerted by the National Rifle Association who chose to oppose her nomination and indicated that they would score how Senators voted implying that their financial support may be withheld if Senators did not vote the way they wanted.

The Hispanic vote has caught the attention of politicians. It is time for a non-partisan organization to begin scoring how all the Members of the House and Senate vote on key issues affecting our community and adjust our votes accordingly. Congratulations Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Your poise and demeanor during the hearings made all of us proud. We wish you a long and illustrious tenure. This issue also highlights our LATINA Style 50 Report. It is the first issue that has allowed us to fully evaluate the true commitment to diversity in corporate America. For those of you who have followed our program since 1998—when we launched this initiative—you will be surprised to see how many new companies are on the list and how many perennials fell out of it. This year, we congratulate Kaiser Permanente on securing the top spot. The winners will receive their awards in Washington, D.C. during the LATINA Style 50 Awards and Diversity Leaders Conference on Thursday, February 4th, 2010.

Robert E. Bard