Sen. Jeff Sessions, left, questions Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor during her confirmation hearing in 2009. Sessions became fixated on the “wise Latina” comment over several days of confirmation hearings, grilling her about the language and questioning her ability to be impartial as a judge. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a leader in the civil rights movement, more explicitly homed in on race, saying a Sessions confirmation threatened to undo racial progress in the United States. When Obama nominated Sotomayor to replace Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court in 2009, her “wise Latina” remarks quickly became a focal point. Over a half-hour, he repeatedly challenged Sotomayor on the meaning behind her “wise Latina” and “experience and heritage” comments.

Source: Washington Post January 13, 2017 10:58 UTC