What question would you ask Sonia Sotomayor?

Confirmation hearings get underway in Washington today for Judge Sonia Sotomayor's appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Imagine that you were a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. What question would you ask Sonia Sotomayor?

In what ways do you feel the Presidency has exceeded legal authority in the last 20 years? -Robert Leduc, St. Paul, MN

Judge Sotomayor, where do you stand on consumer rights concerning the decreasing quality of American food and the relationship of increasing health issues like diabetes, obesity, and heart attacks? Is Big Food pulling the wool over our eyes in a similar fashion like Big Tobacco did in the past? -Wade Abed, Eden Prairie, MN

My question would be: Do you believe that the constitution guarantees a fundamental right to privacy? -Matty, Minneapolis, MN

What is your interpretation & philosophy about anti-discrimination & reverse discrimination legislation and adjudication in the US? Please incorporate its particular application to the New Haven, CN firefighters' lawsuit in your response, as well as both your own ruling on it and that of the Supreme Court? -Joe Schaedler, Minneapolis, MN

What unique quality or approach will you bring that will benefit the high court? -Kirsten Vaage, Bloomington, MN

What is the court's role in protecting the citizens of our country from harmful chemicals and toxins? -Carlos Grados, Minneapolis, MN

Imagine an instance where the specific wording of the Constitution leads to an outcome that you have personally decided is unfair and unjust. Is your first duty to justice and fairness or is it to the Constitution? As a Supreme Court Justice, please explain how you would remedy the injustice and still uphold your oath of office. -Ben White, Burnsville, MN

A lot has been made on the subject of "Privacy" being inherent in the Constitution. Do you believe that such a clause exists, and what types of rights does it grant? -Steve B., Apple Valley, MN

Does she believe the Constitution of the United States is an ever changing document that changes with the times, or does she believe that the constitution is a document to which she should follow and adhere to in making her decisions for the Citizens of the United States of America. -Linda Bolin-Schauer, Minneapolis, MN

I would ask Judge Sotomayor how she will find the patience to put up with the insufferable GOP hypocrites on the panel. -Steve, Maple Grove, MN

Do you believe that Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad has been correctly interpreted with respect to granting corporations the same rights as natural persons? If you do believe that this case does so, would you be open to overturning it? -Anne Nolan, St. Cloud, MN

When does life start- at conception, at birth, or at what point in between? -Fred Turk, St. Paul, MN

Aren't the three primary functions of government to (1) provide for the common defense, (2) coin money, (3) enforce legal contracts? Do you agree with recent actions by the government (as a non-signator) to unilaterally change the terms of legal contracts (example, changing the rights of bond holders in the case of GM)? This seems to me to be a clear example of a "taking". -Bruce Morlan, Northfield, MN

The same questions that James Lipton asks at the end of "In the Actor's Studio" -what is your favorite sound, favorite word, turns you on, least favorite word and sound and what job would you love to try and least favorite job to try. They are light and entertaining but still can be very insightful. The congress will be asking such serious questions and mainly pertaining to her bench work but I would love to know more about her as a person. -Alison McPhail, Hanover, MN

What is the basis for your decision to deny employment to caucasians who score higher on mandatory testing than non-caucasians as you did in the firefighter ruling recently over turned by the US Supreme Court? -Denise Simon, St. Paul, MN

Your nomination to the Supreme Court is a historic one as the first Latina to be conveyed this honor. Is diversity an important consideration for the Supreme Court to have people from different ethnicities, backgrounds and religious perspectives? If so, why? Is not the law, the law? -Dan Hoxworth, Mahtomedi, MN

Why do you believe that MLK was wrong when he said one should be judged by the content of their character rather than the skin color? Do you not have to judge against a white person's skin color to "diversify"? Is that not racism as well? How do you justify reverse racism to correct wrongs of the past committed by people no longer alive ? Am I not due compensation because my white ancestors fought for the UNION? Is not my debt repaid? Why can a white person no longer get even a interview for a state or federal job? -Paul Bohn, Burnsville, MN

• Thank you!
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