The pundits are already punditizing about something folks in my own office were debating yesterday - what the nomination of the first Hispanic to the US Supreme Court means for immigration reform this year. One camp believes that Obama has "thrown a bone" to the growing, increasingly powerful Hispanic community by nominating Sotomayor and it is intended to soften the blow when he decides to pass on pushing immigration reform this year.

On the other hand, appointing Sotomayor could also be viewed as further enhancing support Hispanics, particularly if Republicans foolishly seek to push back too hard against a well-qualified nominee. Already, some of the not so swift themselves members of the GOP have been saying Sotomayor is not intellectually sharp enough for the court. I guess the fact that she finished as salutorian of her class at Princeton and then went on to Yale Law School where she made it on to the Yale Law Journal is to be ignored. Perhaps Sotomayor is the one and comprehensive immigration reform is the two in a one-two punch to lock up Hispanic voters for the next twenty or so years.

Of course, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and it could very well be that President Obama saw Sotomayor as the best choice for the job. But that wouldn't be nearly as interesting.