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Sonia Faces Rookie Challenges

J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo
Sonia Sotomayor may now don the robe—but in the Supreme Court, she's a freshman all over again. In the two months she has to prepare for her first case, she'll need to study up on a lot more than the law. Sotomayor will need to familiarize herself with court protocol and her duties as its newest member. She'll have to learn that when someone knocks on the door while the judges are in session, it's the newest judge who must answer it. And she'll also be responsible for taking notes on decisions, and reporting them accurately to the court clerk. Sotomayor will vote last when the judges vote on cases, which may give her the power to break a tie. She's also responsible for reaching out to the others, but when it comes to making friends, Sotomayor already has a lot in common with the other judges: Both she and Samuel Alito attended Princeton and Yale Law School, and she'll have fellow New Yorkers on the bench, as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia grew up in Brooklyn and Queens, respectively. Finally, she'll learn to navigate around the renovation site in the courthouse. As Alito remembers of his first few months: "I didn't know where anything was, how to get in or how to get out."
Read it at Associated Press





White House Charges CEOs for Lunch

Ron Edmonds / AP Photo
There's no such thing as a free lunch, even at the White House. When four of the country's top executives got the chance to spend their lunch hour in the president's private dining room last month, White House staffers asked the guests to foot the bill. "From time to time, White House guests are asked to reimburse for their meals, the reasons include ensuring there is no conflict or appearance of a conflict," said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki. But the Bush administration never charged for these types of meals, a former official told Politico, saying that meals are typically covered by official entertainment expenses under the executive residence budget or by the White House's annual account. "We've got to relax about this," said Letitia Baldridge, who headed Jackie Kennedy's staff in the 1960s. "To have people to the White House and worry about the price of things is laughable." Hopefully Skip Gates brings his wallet.
Read it at Politico