Sen. Whitehouse: GOP Realizes Sotomayor Attacks Are Backfiring

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RI Sen. expects easy confirmation for Sotomayor
By Eric Tucker
Associated Press Writer / July 10, 2009


PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse predicted Friday that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor was on track for a swift confirmation and that "something completely unexpected would have to emerge" to derail her chances of joining the court.

The Rhode Island Democrat is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which starts confirmation hearings for Sotomayor on Monday. She is President Barack Obama's first pick for the nation's highest court. If confirmed, she would be the first Hispanic to serve there.

"By and large, she will get a courteous and cautious reception from the Republicans," he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I think at this point they realize that their attacks on her are backfiring and that they are doing more harm than good."

He said he expected that Republican critics might try to paint Sotomayor as a judicial activist prone to disfavoring whites and focus on past comments that a female Hispanic judge often would reach a better decision than a white male judge. Sotomayor's critics have seized on the 2001 remark as evidence of bias, but Whitehouse said he has discussed the statement with her and that it has to be understood in context.

"The notion that someone who's had her life experience won't bring anything helpful to the table as a judge from that experience is nonsense," Whitehouse said. "Of course she will."

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http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2009/07/10/ri_sen_expects_easy_confirmation_for_sotomayor/