Sotomayor Also Made 'Wise Woman' Comment in '94

A new wrinkle in the flap over Sonia Sotomayor’s “wise Latina” comment: The Supreme Court nominee said almost exactly the same thing in 1994, reports Greg Sargent on Plum Line. Senators had a copy of the speech but made no mention of it when they confirmed her in 1998, which Sargent sees as evidence that the controversy is bogus. But, Ben Smith adds for Politico, the revelation makes the slip-of-the-tongue line a harder sell for the White House.

In 1994: “Justice O’Connor has often been cited as saying that a ‘wise old man and a wise old woman reach the same conclusion in dueling cases.’ … I am not so sure that I agree. … I would hope that a wise woman with the richness of her experience would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion.” In the 2001 speech, Sotomayor inserted the word “Latina” after “wise.” (More Sonia Sotomayor stories.)