June 9, 2009: Republican Senator Has No Concerns over Supreme Court Nominee, Understands Her ‘Wise Latina’ Remark

After meeting one-on-one with Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor (see May 26, 2009), Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) predicts that she will be confirmed “with pretty good numbers” and will “fit in” well on the Court. Martinez, like Sotomayor a Hispanic, says he is not concerned about her “wise Latina” comments from 2001 (see October 26, 2001). He knows of no evidence that shows she has ever let her heritage or personal feelings influence her judicial decisions (see May 29, 2009). “For someone who is of Latin background, personally, I understand what she is trying to say,” Martinez comments. “Which is, the richness of her experience forms who she is. It forms who I am.” [CNN, 6/9/2009]