Patrick Leahy opened by invoking Martin Luther King Jr. and suggested that Sonia Sotomayor's nomination was part of the "long arc of history bend[ing] towards justice," one of Barack Obama's favorite quotes. He also invoked her long judicial experience, particularly her role as a prosecutor. He also invoked Thurgood Marshall -- and his role as a lawyer for the NAACP LDF fund, and noted that he was asked in his confirmation hearings whether he was "prejudiced against the white people of the South." He also invoked the anti-Semitism faced by Justice Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish justice on the court, including questions about the "altruism" of "the Jewish mind." Leahy criticized those "interest groups" who tried to "create a caricature of Judge Sotomayor" before remarking, "we're in a different era," a statement that was more wishful thinking than his assured baritone might lead listeners to believe. Leahy also pointed to empirical studies that show Sotomayor doesn't offer knee-jerk rulings in favor of plaintiffs alleging racial discrimination.
"Hers is a story in which all, all Americans can take pride," Leahy said. "She has a understanding of the lives of "real Americans" -- interesting choice of words.
-- A. Serwer
