So the news broke this morning that President Obama will nominate Sonia Sotomayor to fill the Supreme Court vacancy about to be created by the retirement of David Souter.  Reactions have been all over the board depending on which side of the political aisle you’re on, but we think it’s a thrilling choice for women.  Sotomayor, if confirmed, would become only the third woman ever to sit on the land’s highest court, following Sandra Day O’Connor and Rose Bader Ginsburg, possibly the next justice to retire.

What makes this such an exciting choice is that it represents another instance in which a woman is being considered for an imporant position based solely on factors that have nothing to do with her appearance.  On the heels of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, that’s extraordinary.

For Sotomayor, the only thing that matters is her legal, judicial and intellectual pedigree, and by any account it is exceptional: rising from a modest upbringing in the Bronx and overcoming diabetes to attend Princeton, graduate from Yale Law School, edit the Yale Law Review and go on to become a New York district attorney.  She is largely regarded as the most important Hispanic jurist in the country at this time.  Aside from the abortion or gay marriage questions that will be posed by some special interest groups, those are the only qualifications that matter for Sotomayor.  That’s marvelous.

As we have said before, intelligence is part of Inner Beauty, which informs and shapes overall beauty.  A women like Judge Sotomayor makes us hopeful because whether she is ultimately confirmed or not, her selection sends yet another message to young women that what you achieve in this world is less about how pretty you can make yourself look and more about what you have between your ears, what you accomplish with the gifts you’re given, and most important, what you give back to others.  As Obama introduced his nominee, her mother, Celia Sotomayor, sat in the front row of the press room, weeping tears of joy for her daughter.  Only she knows all that Sonia has had to overcome to reach this pinnacle.

So this is a day to celebrate.  Another woman of incredible substance and accomplishment stands ready to join the ranks of the finest leaders in the country.  It’s a truly exciting time to be a woman…and an American. We’ll keep you posted on the comments, attacks, and news that comes up about her progress toward a Senate vote.

Stay beautiful,

Debi & Eva