A Letter to the Editor of the NY Times

To the Editor:
Please explain to me the logic of an article that announces that Sonia Sotomayor has an “issue of temperament,” presents exactly one instance of allegedly intemperate questioning, and concludes with a quote from the lawyer to whom those questions were addressed, saying that the questions were “reasonable and fine.”
Okay. Now explain to me how these are valid complaints about a potential Supreme Court justice: she “jumps in and starts asking questions,” she “used her questioning to make a point,” she “attacks lawyers for making an argument she doesn’t like.” Please explain how an article co-written by your Supreme Court correspondent could miss the fact that this is exactly how the justices of the Supreme Court (yes, even the male ones) currently behave.
Sam Barr
Metuchen, NJ