judges easterbrook and posner, both renowned conservatives, people i hear quoted by the republican side over and over again, they serve on the second circuit. they agreed with the second circuit panel. what i'm saying is judges of all stripes ruled the same way. the national rifle association v. city of chicago, they ruled the same as the second circuit in maloney. judges easterbrook and posner refused to ignore the direction from the supreme court, implement supreme court holdings even if the reasoning in later opinions undermines the rationale and said lead to the supreme court the prerogative of overruling its own decisions. what i'm saying is be conservative judges, liberal judges, moderate judges, moderates like judge sotomayor all came to the same conclusion. follow precedent. it may sound lik -- it may sound like i'm doing a tutorial for a law school class. i thought rather than having the rhetoric, let's go to the facts and let's go to the law. because both the facts and the law are unrefutable. and i asked judge sotomayor during her hearing whether not bound by the second circu

state of illinois which featured two of our most conservative icons on the federal bench, frank easterbrook and frank posner. they concluded the supreme court not appellate courts can overrule century-old presidents on the second amendment of the right to bare arms. i know senate allies do not like that ruling. they want judge sotomayor to do what the ninth circuit and overrule precedent. but judge sotomayor did what she should do and followed the law. the sotomayor nomination is the third supreme court nomination i voted in 12 1/2 years i served on the senate because the stakes are so high, i believe supreme court nominees carry the burden of proof when they come before the senate. they must prove they are worthy of a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. judge sotomayor has met and exceeded this burden. america will be well served when judge sotomayor becomes justice sotomayor, and i enthusiastically support her nomination. >> thank you, senator durbin. senator coburn? >> thank you, mr. chairman. i'm trying to figure out how to couch my words since i've just been condemne

the fact we are standing here right now, u are one of the most fornate people, and gre easterbrook says when you wk into a gas station or a mini-mart you can buy a better bottle of wine then the king of france drank years ago. we take so much of the world for granted that we don't stop to appreciate what we have some time so i think it is worthwhile to think about the bright side. my book is filled entirely with thoughts that i have fou inspiring, uplifting or no bling. i meant it as an added the to the depressing news we hear in the newspaper eve day so i hope you te the time to read it and if you do i hope you enjoy it. so, thank you so much. [applause] >> alexander greens the investment director of the oxford club and anitere spiritual wealth. he is the author of the gone fishin portfolio, get wise, get wealthy and get on with your life. this talk was part of freedomfest 2009. to find that more visit freedomfest.com. >> the booktv bus is traveled the country visiting bookstores, libraries, festivals and authors. here are some of the people and places we visited. >> we are here with a

greg easterbrook says, when you walk into a many markon by a better bottle of wine than the king of france frank 300 years ago. we just don't stop to appreciate what we have sometimes so i think it is worthwhile to think about the bright side and my book is filled entirely with thought that i found inspiring, uplifting and they meant it as an antidote to the depressing and rattling news that we hear the newspaper today so i hope they take the time to read it and if you do i help you enjoy it. so, thank you so much. [applause] >> alexander green is the investment director of the oxford club and editor spiritual wealth. he is the author of "the gone fishin portfolio," get wise, get wealthy and get on with your life. this talk was part of freedomfest 2009. to find up more visit freedomfest.com. >> rick perlstein, who lives in nixonland? >> in my book, the election of barack obama it is become an open question. the whole idea of nixonland is that we have to the chilean commensurate groups of americans who hate each other, left and right, red and blue. one side barely considers the of hassad am

seventh circuit that included two of the most prominent conservative judges in the country, frank easterbrooknd richard posner, reached the same exact conclusion unanimously. judge sonia sotomayor is a judge that follows and respects precedent. she is a judge that does not make new law. in fact, it seems that judge sotomayor's worst sin in this whole process is her straightforward observation that her life experiences shape who we are and what we do. this is not a new idea. 125 years ago, on the first page of the most famous treatise in american law oliver wendell holmes wrote the life of the law has not been logic it has been experience. this isn't just an old idea either. injustices alito, scalia and thomas each acknowledged in their own confirmation hearings that their own life experiences being born into an immigrant family and exposure to discrimination, a childhood in poverty, shaped their own approach to judgment. but, judge sotomayor went beyond justice is alito scalia and thomas by also recognizing that judges must be aware of these prejudices and must not allow these prejudices to i