Sotomayor defends Latina comments

WASHINGTON, July 14 (UPI) -- U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor faced tough questions Tuesday about gun rights, abortion and her past statements regarding race and gender.

On the the second day of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on her nomination to the nation's highest court, Sotomayor was grilled by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., about her controversial statements to Hispanic law students that she hoped "a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion that a white male who hasn't lived that life."

Sotomayor said she had attempted a play on words an adage used by former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. She described it as a rhetorical flourish that "fell flat."

"I want to state upfront, unequivocally and without doubt, I do not believe that any racial, ethnic, gender group has any advantage in sound judgment," Sotomayor said.

Senators, however, returned to topic repeatedly during the day's questioning."No words I've ever written or spoken have received so much attention," the judge said to Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, questioned Sotomayor closely on the federal right to bear arms. Sotomayor said she supports the Second Amendment.

Sotomayor weighed-in on the issue of executive power during questioning by Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., who asked the judge about the Supreme Court's 1944 decision in Korematsu vs United States that allowed the detention of Japanese-Americans.

"A judge should never rule from fear," Sotomayor said. "A judge should rule from the law and the Constitution."

She did not offer her personal stand on abortion but said a 1992 ruling reaffirmed Roe vs. Wade. Sotomayor said a Supreme Court decision allowing states to ban late-term abortions is precedent.

A protester was removed from the courtroom Tuesday after he stood up and called the judge a "baby-killer." Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., ordered him removed from the room.

Hecklers interrupted Monday's proceedings three times. One woman cuffed by officers was Norma McCorvey -- better known as Jane Roe of Roe vs. Wade, the landmark abortion case -- who yelled to the panel about overturning the divisive decision as she exited, The Washington Post reported. In 1971, McCorvey was poor and pregnant from being raped, she said. Since the 1973 ruling she said she has had a change of belief and become an anti-abortion activist.

McCorvey, 61, was one of four people arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

Obama backs House healthcare bill

WASHINGTON, July 14 (UPI) -- President Obama endorsed a $1 billion U.S. healthcare reform bill released Tuesday by House Democrats, saying it will cut costs and provide coverage for all.

"For decades, Washington failed to act as healthcare costs continued to rise, crushing businesses and families and placing an unsustainable burden on governments," Obama said. "But today, key committees in the House of Representatives have engaged in unprecedented cooperation to produce a healthcare reform proposal that will lower costs, provide better care for patients, and ensure fair treatment of consumers by the insurance industry."

The bill combines a public health insurance option with a requirement that everyone have health insurance, The Washington Times said. Cuts in Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals and a tax increase on the richest U.S. residents would pay the cost.

Obama said the bill would fix most of the ills associated with the current U.S. healthcare system.

Obama: Unclear how high jobless will go

WASHINGTON, July 14 (UPI) -- U.S. President Obama said it is unclear how high unemployment will go in what he called "a more severe recession than we've seen since the Great Depression."

During a question and answer session after his Oval Office meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende Tuesday, Obama said he expects unemployment, which hit 9.5 percent nationally last month and 14 percent in auto-dependent Michigan, likely will continue inching up in coming months.

"What we have also said is that historically, even after you start moving into a recovery, positive growth, hiring typically lags for some time after that. That's been the historic norm," Obama said.

"Now, this has been a more severe recession than we've seen since the Great Depression, so how employment numbers are going to respond is not yet clear."

He said the situation would be even worse had not the federal government stepped in to help the auto industry and get the stimulus package.

The president noted, however, financial markets have now stabilized and business lending is beginning to resume.

Obama again pushed for investments in clean "energy, infrastructure, innovation, science, development and eliminating the drag the healthcare system is placing on the overall economy."

Obama: Afghanistan can move to new phase

WASHINGTON, July 14 (UPI) -- U.S. President Obama said Tuesday Afghanistan can move into a new phase of development following upcoming elections.

During a question and answer session with reporters after his Oval Office meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, Obama said Afghanistan is taking more responsibility for its own security "and if we can get through a successful election in September and we continue to apply the training approach to the Afghan security forces and we combine that with a much more effective approach to economic development inside Afghanistan, then my hope is, is that we will be able to begin transitioning into a different phase in -- in Afghanistan."

Balkenende echoed Obama's sentiments, saying combining defense, diplomacy and development -- the so-called "3D" approach -- is the most effective approach,

Obama praised the Netherlands as an essential part of the coalition effort in Afghanistan, noting al-Qaida doesn't differentiate the Western nations and will attack Western Europe as venomously as it will attack U.S. interests.

United States, Cuba to resume talks

NEW YORK, July 14 (UPI) -- Resumption of diplomatic talks with Cuba undermines U.S. security interests, a Republican congresswoman from Florida said.

Delegations from Washington and Havana were to meet Tuesday in New York to resume talks suspended in 2003 by former U.S. President George W. Bush, The Miami Herald reported.

"It is unfortunate that, once again, the Cuban regime is being rewarded with overtures from the U.S. government despite its ongoing atrocities against the Cuban people and policies that undermine U.S. security interests and priorities," U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., told the Herald.

The diplomatic talks were to "focus on how best to promote safe, legal and orderly migration between Cuba and the United States," the U.S. State Department said Monday in a three-sentence release.

The Obama administration earlier this year eased some travel and gift restrictions for U.S. residents with relatives in Cuba.

Iraqi interpreters seek compensation

LONDON, July 14 (UPI) -- Attorneys for Iraqis who worked for British forces as interpreters say they're suing Whitehall for allegedly leaving them unprotected from vengeful militias.

The 25 claimants in a suit to be filed Friday include family members of two interpreters and a laundry worker at the British base in Basra slain by militiamen who regarded them as traitors, The Times of London reported Tuesday.

"It is for financial compensation for those who have suffered the loss of the bread winner of the family to help them to start rebuilding their lives," attorney Sapna Malik told the newspaper.

The Times said the government relocated about 200 former interpreters to Britain under an assistance program while others were given one-time cash payments. But about 700 others received nothing because they did not qualify for assistance under the program, which reportedly only covered those who worked for the British Iraqi mission for 12 straight months after Jan. 1, 2005.

Militant Shiites kidnapped dozens of Iraqis who served as interpreters, frequently torturing them to death and dumping their bodies as messages to others to not work with the occupiers, The Times said.

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