Spicy! via Eric in SF.

Since media coverage insists on riffs on "spicy Latina," I decided to go with hot sauce pix today. Couldn’t help myself.

LEAHY about to gavel proceedings into session.  Liveblogging will begin as he does.

LEAHY:  Good morning everyone.  Judge, it’s good to see you back and your family.  Judge Sotomayor, yesterday you answered questions from 11 Senators.  I think you demonstrated your comittment to the rule of law, and you definitely demonstrated your patience.

For the schedule, we have 8 remaining Senators in that first round.  Then we’ll go into closed session, which we always do, and then will come back for a second round of questions for 15 minutes or less each.

CORNYN QUESTIONS:  Good morning.  Appreciate the good humor you’ve brought to this and your enjoyment of the back and forth as you do in the courtroom.  Talking about how nastiness in hearing sometimes dissuades people from serving — thinks that is not a good thing.

Wants her to help reconcile two pictures that have emerged about her — one from her court work, and one from her speeches and writings.  (CHS notes:  Cornyn pointedly doesn’t discuss where the misinterpretations of Sotomayor might have come, justuses a sorrowful tone about whatever need to reconcile them there may be.  And, good lord, we’re back to the "wise Latina" thing again.)  Sotomayor says that the comments were taken out of context, that you have to read the whole of the speech not cherry-pick her words — that she noted in the broader speech that white men decided Brown v. Board of Education, and there were other instances.

Cornyn trying to get her to either stand by her words or disavow them.  Sotomayor says it was clear that because there has been so much misunderstanding that her words failed, but she wasn’t saying her life experiences would make her decisions — she bases her courtroom decisions on the law.  (CHS notes: Cornyn still going on about this.  It’s going to be a long morning.)  Sotomayor says that the work she does with students and lawyers of all backgrounds and community groups of all types, and what she tries to do is encourage students, new immigrants, and others to participate in all levels of society.  This is one of the good things about America — we can participate fully in all of the opportunities, saying "I’ve made it, so can you.  Participate and work hard." (more…)