Sotomayor and Kagan Too Fat for the Supreme Court?

[Thrill]

The two women largely considered to be front-runners in the race to replace Justice Souter on the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Elena Kagan and federal appellate judge Sonia Sotomayor, are coming under harsh criticism—not because of their career decisions or stances on important issues, but because of their weight.

Women in power make people uncomfortable. We can all agree on that simple point, but within hours of the news circulating that Sotomayor and Kagan were on President Obama's short list, ridiculous comments began flying about whether or not the president should be concerned about their "health." Paul Campos rounded up some of the most inflammatory comments culled from prominent political websites and discussed why women in power are subject to different kinds of scrutiny than men in a blog post on the Daily Beast:

At The Washington Monthly, a commentator claimed to have employed a more scientifically rigorous method: “To all the short-sighted libs who are clamoring for the youngest-possible nominee... Right idea, wrong methodology. You want someone who will serve the longest, i.e. with the greatest remaining life expectancy—and that involves more than simple age. I tried assessing their respective health prospects, and ruled out all who even border on overweight. Best choice: Kim McLane Wardlaw, whose ectomorphitude reflects her publicly known aerobic-exercise habits.

(Wardlaw’s “ectomorphitude” also gets rave reviews at legal gossip site Underneath Their Robes, which describes her as "Heather Locklear in a black robe. This blond Hispanic hottie boasts a fantastic smile and an incredible body, showcased quite nicely by her elegant ensembles.")

Meanwhile, a letter writer at Salon comments on Sotomayor’s candidacy, “How do you say 55, overweight, and diabetic in Spanish?” (Sotomayor was diagnosed with Type I diabetes—which doesn’t correlate with higher weight—when she was a child).

Should Obama take weight into consideration when considering people for Supreme Court Justice replacements? Or do you think the comments are thinly veiled misogynistic attacks?


http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/news-politics/too-fat-supreme-court

Wow. Amazing how people look at some women for high appointments. What about Scalia's fat ass?

[ananda]

1. Thomas and Scalia are FAT. So what?

Besides, those women don't look all that fat
to me.

And even if they were fat, so what?

[Dinger]

37. They're BALD Too

Some people are fucking idiots.

[Hello_Kitty]

2. Spare me the fucking faux concern for 'health'.

:puke:

Amazing how people start worrying about women's 'health' starting at 20 extra lbs. whereas men, for whom excess weight actually poses a far greater risk, are left alone until they're so big they can barely fit through a door.

[nichomachus]

3. But the conservatives have no problems with this tub of goo as the head of the GOP?

[Beacool]

6. Oh yeah, isn't he the picture of health.................

:eyes:

[caraher]

35. well, the point is supposed to be that these are lifetime appointments

if Rush keeled over tomorrow there'd be some other wingnut to step up to the mike.

But clearly the people fretting about weight seem to think they are casting for Fox & Friends and not seeking someone with the legal chops to serve on the Supreme Court

[Occam Bandage]

4. Obviously it's misogynistic. Nobody seems particularly concerned about the weight of men.

[onenote]

10. yup: three words: william howard taft

Weighed in at over 300 pounds. Served as president and then, for nine years, as CJ.

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. Taft died less than 9 years after being appointed to the Court

I would hope that the President would appoint someone with a longer life expectancy.

[onenote]

24. taft outlasted the life expectancy of a male in the US at the time by 15years

Taft was appointed to the court in July 1921 -- when he was just shy of 64 years old and served until his death in Feb 1930, when he was 72. In 1921, the average life expectancy of a male in the US was 55.5. By 1930, it was still only 57.7. I'd say a nominee that outlasts the average life expectancy by fifteen years is a pretty good choice.

The point being, of course, that while obesity is a real problem in this country, making weight a test for appointing someone to the SCOTUS is ridiculous. Put another way, if the repubs had nominated someone with a potentially life shortening condition to the court, would we have opposed it?

[Beacool]

5. WOW, just WOW!!!!!!!!!

Are they for real? Disgusting creeps.

Why is it that weight discrimination is the last form of discrimination that is widely accepted in this country, regardless of political affiliation.

So, according to these bastards, Sotomayor and any other chunky chick shouldn't be considered for the Court? Does that apply to other jobs too? Should I go check the scale just in case I gained a pound and won't be able to fulfill the obligations of my corporate job?

Bunch of pigs........

:puke:

I was so far neutral on this issue, but not anymore. Go Sotomayor and Kagan!!!

:applause:

[polmaven]

42. But the REAL question is

How do they look in bikinis....Isn't that the first qualification for ANY woman for ANY gummint job?

[hlthe2b]

7. This would never come up if the candidates were male...

Asshole misogynists, indeed.

[madmom]

8. I have found that the first guy to complain about a womans weight is one who

has a gut hanging over the belt. Have you ever seen a gut hang so low that it shows under the shirt? These are the ones who are "all about" the feminine figure.:puke:

[MADem]

12. Darlin', that's called a dickdew.

As in "His belly sticks out more than his dickdew!"

:rofl:

[madmom]

14. LOL, thanks for the laugh, but eewww!

[MADem]

16. I learned that term from a southern friend talking about an obnoxious neighbor.

It cracked me up!

[spooky3]

18. It's called Dunlop's Disease, where I'm from.

"His belly done lopped over his belt!"

[MADem]

22. Hahahahahaha! nt

[Beacool]

28. Ewwww!!!!!!

Bad visuals........

:spank:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

25. I see men and women both, at the mall, with huge saggy bellies.

And I thought I was fat!!!

I'm a mere slip of a girl, and positively svelte, compared to them. I feel sorry for the ones who can't help it.

[Arugula Latte]

9. ...

:banghead:

[MADem]

11. One of my great grandmothers was a real fatass!! She loved her food!

And she was a big old fatass up until the day she died...at age 99.

Gee, maybe she would have lived a year or two longer if she hadn't been such a fatass, eh?

Thomas ain't too svelt, either. Why doesn't anyone put him on the treadmill?

[bunnies]

13. What? Jackasses posting hate anonymously on the tubes?

Who knew? :banghead:

[Dappleganger]

15. If these were men this wouldn't be an issue.

[Cha]

17. I'm missing something..

they don't even look "fat". They look healthy.

[dsc]

19. the weight is ridiculous

actually studies show very thin people have slightly shorter life expectancies in the older ages that matter here. But the diabetes is worrisome. That does shorten life significantly in the years that matter here. I am sorry to hear that Sotomayor has diabetes as that does make her appointment problematic.

[Jennicut]

27. Its type 1. You are born with it, nothing to do with health issues later in life. Most type 1's have

a pump built into them to distribute insulin and regulate their blood sugar. I am a type 2, I take insulin but I do it with a needle as I don't need as much as a type 1 would. Life expectancy can be normal. It depends on how well you take care of yourself. I am not overweight so my doctors are happy with me. Just loosing 10 to 15 pounds can make a big difference or so my endocrinologist tells me. As long as her overall blood sugar level is stable and low she should be okay but if she looses some weight it would probably help her life expectancy more. Still, tough to loose weight on insulin, that stuff keeps weight on you stubbornly. It took me a year to loose 10 pounds.

[bullwinkle428]

20. How can they match up to pics of Scalia in a leopard-spotted Speedo?

If that image of Scalia doesn't call for a:puke: bucket, I don't know what does!

[southernyankeebelle]

21. THAT IS DISCRIMATION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT -

IF YOU ARE GOING TO START HAVING A TEST THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE STARTED WITH FAT BOY SCALIA. PLUS LOOK AT THE LONE FEMALE JUSTICE WHO IS SKINNY THAT HAS CANCER. I MEAN COME ON. HOW DARE THESE PEOPLE JUDGE OTHERS.

[Arkana]

26. Clarence Thomas and Scalia are fat.

Why is this even being discussed?

[Unsane]

32. Not when they were nominated.

[Stellabella]

29. Scalia's nickname is FAT TONY.

'Nuff said.

[JI7]

30. aren't men more likely to suffer from weight issues than women ?

especially when it comes to heart attacks ?

look at Scalia and he is still eating carbs all day and smoking.

[Number23]

31. Sorry for my language but this is some bullshit

Ignorant. Idiotic. Mean. Stupid. Ridiculous

"Heather Locklear in a black robe. This blond Hispanic hottie boasts a fantastic smile and an incredible body, showcased quite nicely by her elegant ensembles."

WHAT THE FUCK? So, we're all supposed to rally behind this woman because she's blonde and a "hottie?" Are there people in this world who truly don't realize that not everyone idolizes and worships blonde hair and "incredible bodies"?? And I'm willing to bet everything in my wallet that their interpretation of "incredible" is INCREDIBLY different from mine.

This is a Supreme Court appointment, not Ms. Hawaiian Tropic 09. Damn, I am so sick of this kind of shit.

[Thrill]

33. Apparently there are DU'ers who feel this way about Kagan.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8383687&mesg_id=8384021

OUCH

[hileeopnyn8d]

34. Unfortunately,

that was one of several similar comments. Not just about Kagan, but about Sotomayor as well. I believe one person said they didn't like Sotomayor because she was ill, overweight, and abrasive. Last, and apparently least there was a mention of her court opinions.

It's bullshit, and it's disgusting. They can wrap it up in a nice "I just want them to be able to serve the longest term possible" package, but it's still disgusting.

These women are not obese. Life doesn't come with a guarantee, if it did, I would be celebrating my sister's 57th birthday with her next month, instead of her never living to see her daughter's wedding, or for that matter her little sister's (me) wedding.

[MonteLukast]

39. This is a byproduct of working in a service economy.

Where looks and "nonthreatening" demeanor HAVE become a point of job performance. Women have always been more vulnerable to losing their jobs or promotions because of personality conflicts and "style" issues. The dark underbelly of customer service and sales served to codify it.

We take on these attitudes because our bosses and supervisors do-- because agreeing with them has become necessary to our livelihoods.

Repeat a behavior enough where you spend the majority of your time-- the workplace-- and it's bound to spill over into your general attitudes about other issues.

[BlooInBloo]

36. This is a joke, right?

[genna]

38. No, these people are judging others based on their weight

Aren't these the same folks who want to make us all free from a 'mommy' state like smoking bans and what not?

They want less government except when it is expedient to gain big brother oversight.

They are a joke, but their punch is no joke.

[olkaz]

40. "The two women largely considered.."

I couldn't miss that.

[LiberalAndProud]

41. If this is the best reason against appointment, I'd say

their chances are really, really good.

Neither of these women is grossly overweight.