It figures
Sometimes the most effective lies have enough truth in them to make them credible to the gullible.
Take, for instance, right wing attacks on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court.
The Washington Times, Fox News and other conservative media outlets say she is unqualified for the Supreme Court because 60 percent of her lower court opinions were overturned by the high court.
The truth is that three of her five cases that were reviewed by the court were overturned. As the Washington Times points out, that is a 60 percent reversal rate. Obviously she is incompetent.
But, the Supreme Court only reviews cases it considers ripe for reversal. Typically 75 percent of cases that reach the Supreme Court are overturned.
So Sotomayor is actually ahead of the game and has a better record that many of the current members of the Supreme Court.
Two of her three reversals came on 5-4 split decisions, so she is hardly out of the mainstream.
Yet an even larger point is that Sotomayor has heard more than 3,000 cases as a federal judge and written more than 380 opinions.
The vast majority of her opinions were never reviewed because they were considered sound.
Having three decisions overturned out of 380 opinions written means she has a success rate of 99.9 percent.
Take, for instance, right wing attacks on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court.
The Washington Times, Fox News and other conservative media outlets say she is unqualified for the Supreme Court because 60 percent of her lower court opinions were overturned by the high court.
The truth is that three of her five cases that were reviewed by the court were overturned. As the Washington Times points out, that is a 60 percent reversal rate. Obviously she is incompetent.
But, the Supreme Court only reviews cases it considers ripe for reversal. Typically 75 percent of cases that reach the Supreme Court are overturned.
So Sotomayor is actually ahead of the game and has a better record that many of the current members of the Supreme Court.
Two of her three reversals came on 5-4 split decisions, so she is hardly out of the mainstream.
Yet an even larger point is that Sotomayor has heard more than 3,000 cases as a federal judge and written more than 380 opinions.
The vast majority of her opinions were never reviewed because they were considered sound.
Having three decisions overturned out of 380 opinions written means she has a success rate of 99.9 percent.
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