Cornyn preparing tough questions for Sotomayor

A day ahead of his meeting with Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) said Wednesday he is approaching the nomination with an open mind but tough questions.

Cornyn said he plans to press for answers on Sotomayor’s record and judicial philosophy, zeroing in particularly on the judge’s controversial 2001 remark on the judicial fitness of Latinas over white men. President Barack Obama has said Sotomayor “misspoke,” and Cornyn said he wants a fuller explanation.

Cornyn said he is most concerned that the 2001 speech was not an isolated example of judicial activism, when viewed alongside Sotomayor’s other writings and rulings.

“There’s a lot of questions to ask,” Cornyn said. “When the president said she misspoke–how did he learn that? Did he learn it from her? Or is it just White House spin? But I’ve got an open mind, and I’m interested in meeting her and learning more about her record and her attitude toward the job of a Supreme Court justice.”

–J. Taylor Rushing