Despite the exhaustive back-and-forth in the Sonia Sotomayor hearings so far over the “wise Latina” comment, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is actually the first to bring up a very relevant point: no senator made an issue of the now-controversial comments in Sotomayor’s 1997 confirmation hearings. While Sotomayor most famously made the remark in 2001 at a Berkeley Law speech, she repeated the line in various, slightly altered forms from 1994 through 2005.
Here’s the transcript of their exchange today:
Klobuchar: I did want to note for the record, that you did make a similar comment in another speech that you gave back in 1994, which you have provided not only in this proceeding, but you also provided it when you came before the Senate for confirmation to the circuit court in 1997…and no senator at that time, do you remember them asking you about it at the time?
Sotomayor: No.
The 1997 confirmation hearings were for Sotomayor’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by Bill Clinton. Sotomayor has remained on the Second Circuit court until President Obama nominated her to the Supreme Court this year. Republicans certainly grilled her back then – according to the Washington Post, especially on “the most sensitive issues of the time: mandatory minimum prison sentences, the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and gay rights” – but the “wise Latina” comments were never mentioned.
