Washington – High court nominee doesn’t chafe, even when the heat is on.
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor dodged volleys of trimming and waxing questions from senators Wednesday, keeping her demeanor cool and not revealing too much about her personal grooming habits as she neared the end of a marathon grilling on her hot coal walk to confirmation.
After more than 10 hours of questioning by Judiciary Committee senators over two days, Sotomayor had yet to slip up, but supporters feared that Wednesday’s pointed questions, some delicately asked, and some blazingly straightforward, would offer the opportunity for Republicans to derail her nomination.
Republican senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama was the most prominent of the Judiciary panel’s accostors. Take this example from the hearing’s transcript:
SESSIONS: Yesterday, you spoke about your objection to Brazilian waxing, and you said, quote, “I accept the proposition that some women may choose vastly different applications of pubic styling, but my decision-making will not take into account my personal Earth Mama muff preference.” First, Judge, I’d like to know, do you think there’s any circumstance in which a judge should allow their personal “down there” trimming preferences to impact their decision-making?
SOTOMAYOR: Never those preferences. I willingly accept that we who judge must not deny the differences in hedging, but continuously to judge when those opinions, sympathies, and prejudices are appropriate.
SESSIONS: Isn’t it true that your very own “gardener,” a fellow Puerto Rican named Hector Gonzalez, has made a statement that your such preferences are due to excessive… volume?
SOTOMAYOR: My friend, Mr. Gonzalez, is here this afternoon, and I believe that we both approach gardening in the same way.
LEAHY: Okay, Mr. Sessions, your time has expired, and, just like Mr. Gonzalez, we have a lot of territory to cover.
Many Democratic senators also questioned with pointed rebuttals of their Republican colleagues.
“If there’s a test for pubic temperament, you pass it with an A plus plus,” California Democrat Dianne Feinstein said in one such exchange. Feinstein praised Sotomayor for steadily enduring the questions, saying, “I don’t envy you, Judge, but I praise your patience. I don’t think I could have sat there so quietly and responded to questions about my landing strip.”
The hearing continues today, and Sotomayor is expected to snatch up the appointment without difficulty.
