Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Democrat of Vermont, came to the defense of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor: "She can't speak out," Leahy told reporters, "so I will."  And speak out he did. 

Leahy blasted Republican criticism of  Sotomayor as "among the most vicious attacks that have been received by anybody" in the Court nomination process.

Sotomayor was nominated by President Barack Obama last week to replace retiring Justice David Souter, a surprise member of the Court's liberal bloc who had been originally appointed by George H.W. Bush.  Interestingly, it was the same George H.W. Bush who nominated Sotomayor to the federal district court.

Leahy said he's troubled by the unfairness of the criticism against Sotomayor, particularly because she has no means of response.  "I know how difficult it is for somebody who is nominated," he said. "They can't answer charges. They can't speak out. But they're a nominee. It's different than those that run for elected office and we're in a debate a day."

Leahy said that baseless GOP attacks on Sotomayor- particularly on the part of radio host Rush Limbaugh- may lead him to push the confirmation vote faster than had been expected.  "Because the defacto leader of the Republican Party equated her to the head of the Ku Klux Klan pretty well demands that she have a hearing earlier than later" so that she can answer Limbaugh's charges.

This isn't the first time the Vermont veteran Senator has come to Sotomayor's defense.  Back in 1998 when Sotomayor's elevation to the federal appellate court by Bill Clinton had been stalled by anonymous Senate Republicans, Leahy made this incredibly prophetic statement: "Judge Sonia Sotomayor is just such a qualified nominee, and she is one being held up by the Republican majority, apparently because some on the other side of the aisle believe she might one day be considered by President Clinton for nomination to the United States Supreme Court, should a vacancy arise."

Republican Senators like Orrin Hatch of Utah and Jeff Sessions of Alabama (the ranking comitteee member) have been requesting that the confirmation process not to be moved up too quickly and that they have ample opportunity to review the record.

Sotomayor is expected to sail through the confirmation process, no doubt helped by an enormous Democratic majority in the Senate.

Has Leahy forgotten "Robert Bork's America" speech? How about the Clarence Thomas hearings? How about demonstrations with placards that read "Stop Souter or Women Will Die?"

Now, I think that the attacks along the lines of "Sotomayor is a racist" are stupid, counterproductive, and above all false. There is plenty in Sotomayor's record to debate. Racism is not one of those issues.

But to suggest that Sotomayor is somehow subjected to the worst process ever is to rewrite history of judicial confirmation wars.

Do you seriously think that winger extremist belonged on the court?

He attacked the Senate, not the other way around. It was Bork who fired the first shots, then tried to deny his long track record as a RW partisan fire brand.

Partisan firebrands don't get seated on the court, for good reason.

stupid? did you not read the wise latina comment? you cannot claim that is not racist. And now she wont even back off of her statement and say she chose her words poorly. You can spin it anyway you want, but it was still a blatantly racist statement.