(CNN) – GOP Sens. Olympia Snowe of Maine and Mel Martinez of Florida Friday both publicly announced their support for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, bringing the tally of Republican senators supporting Obama's pick to three.
"Judge Sotomayor is knowledgeable of the law, would be a fair and impartial judge, and seems to have a good understanding of the limited role the judiciary plays in our democracy," Martinez said in a statement.
Martinez, who was born in Cuba, also praised the historic nature of Sotomayor's nomination.
"As an Hispanic American, I take great pride in Judge Sotomayor's historic achievement. Given her qualifications and testimony this week, I intend to vote in favor of her confirmation."
Snowe said in a statement she was impressed with Sotomayor's performance at the hearings. "She appears neither rigid nor dogmatic in her approach to the essential task of constitutional interpretation," Snowe said.
Earlier Friday, Indiana Republican Dick Lugar also announced his support of Sotomayor.
From CNN Politics
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Good. Guess they don't listen to folks like the Buchanan "loud-mouths" and Limbaugh.
Olympia Snowe is not a Republican in any way shape or form
I guess Mitch McConnell ain't get the memo that this is a historic vote.
Oh well, clear thinkers soon to be labelled RINO's by fat boy and the other haters
It's no surprise RINO Snowe sided with the Democrats on this.
Imagine if a White Senator would have said at a fellow White Judges' nomination hearing ..."as a White-American, I take great pride in...."
Where's the lunchmob media on Snowe's racist statment??
Hey Michael, as GOP Chair you want to rebuild the GOP? Here's the place to start. Get more like Lugar, Snowe, Martinez and too few others. People might actually vote for them as they use their heads and don't give the impressions of total "whack jobs" to the vast majority of us.
Come on Olympia. Jump the sinking ship called the 'GOP'.
To Mike in VA.
Enough already with the defense that if someone said " As a White-American, I take great pride in…." would seem racist. Of course it is different, never in the history of this country has the discrimination against white males , been socially acceptable and even tolerated. Women and minorities had to overcome these injustices to aquire the equal rights that white male privilege had all along. Using this as an argument seems disingenuous and petty. And honestly, I don't think the people that use this as the basis of there argument believe it themselves.
@ Mike July 17th, 2009 4:09 pm ET
Olympia Snowe is not a Republican in any way shape or form
Oh . . . so now you AND Rush get to decide who's a "real" Republican or not, eh?
Al- NY,NY – She earned the name RINO.
Sotomayor is an activist judge. Anyone who listened to her during the hearings would know, and I listened.
Olympia Snowe is a two-faced liberal mole ...
Good Repubs, attack your own. Maybe we can have these guys switch over to the Dems and dwindle the GOP numbers even more.
Or just maybe, you can respect their decision.
Snowe should switch parties. She's easily suckered by the Democrats. We need Republicans in the Congress who have backbone. This lady has none.
Senator Snowe, what a surprise. She voted for the Porkulus package. She's just a Tax, Borrow and Spend democrat in drag.
Whay are we continuing to waste millions of dollars puttin her through this silly questioning, when she has already stated she will not answer the questions she has been asked. Do we really care if she watched Perry Mason?
These idiots in congress(democrats and republicans) should be fired for wasting our money.
And the parade at the asylum continues
Is the party of "NO" now becoming the party of "maybe"?
Somebody say yes.
@mike in VA July 17th, 2009 4:20 pm ET
It's no surprise RINO Snowe sided with the Democrats on this.
Imagine if a White Senator would have said at a fellow White Judges' nomination hearing …"as a White-American, I take great pride in…."
Where's the lunchmob media on Snowe's racist statment??
****************************************************************************
Imagine this ......Daddy Bush refered to his Grand Children quote ....I have some White ones and some Brown ones referring to the Bush Twin ......Instead of saying I have whatever # of Grand Children
**?is that Racist**
in the democratic party, we dont eat our own when there is a difference of opinion, voting intelligently even when its against the party line gets you ostracized real quick in the GOP.
you know, there's another group of intolerant religious right wing radicals wreaking havoc in the world today– they're called The Taliban
Relax people their support means very little.... she is getting in no matter what. Repubs in highly hispanic areas would be smart to show her a little support.
If the Repubs want to be in the game they will need to bat once and while!
The comments she made was out of context. But people ifyou look at the Supreme Court. there were 106 out of 110 white male on the court. Personally i dont care who sits on the bench once they follow the law.
Yes, that's right Republicans. Shun anyone who doesn't follow fatty and Shammity's Mein Kampf. Republicans will be the ever dwindling 21% of American voters. We will take them in our party.
She's going to be confirmed and she has had a reasonable career in Fed Court. I still have a problem with her racist comments. It is clear racism unless you are dishonest.
Nevada Dude,
As a matter of fact, it is the democrats who eat their own. They will eat your own as well.
I watched most of the hearings and feel that the Republicans' "performance" was pathetic. Their repeated emphasis on the "wise Latina" was a bad joke, when the judge really outsmarted them at every step.
Our vote for her too, but then it does not count and we do not care.
Rush Limbaugh where are you. Martinez just sold out like Powell. When the Dems nominate a clan member I am sure Sessions will sell out.
This is hardly historic.
No matter how you paint a barn, it's still a barn. That's the way the American taxpayer paints this lady ...... her original words were racist in nature and trying to 'rephrase' them will not change them. That's the way the NAACP so-called leaders treat a 'mistake' by a Caucasian and that's the way this person will be remembered, even if she is put into this powerful office.
At least a few Republicans seem to understand the potential for national tragedy, even disaster, in their party's tactic of appealing to white rage and resentment in order to regain power over the next few election cycles. A few Republicans, however, are not enough to bring the party as a whole back to some form of sanity. Their ugly racial tactics (promoted by GOP hucksters like Limbaugh, Hannity and Buchanan) may gain them enough white votes in swing districts to narrow the margins in both houses of Congress; it could even, God help us all, win them back the White House in 2012. But the fact that they are willing to fan the flames of white hatred purely for the sake of political gain will go down in the history books as a truly dreadful turning point for America. You can see in the venomous comments of the GOP's white base a soul-sickness that will not be easily healed, and that will do awful damage to us all before the fever burns out.
Wow, to read some of these blogs; I thought the republican party believed in people having their own opinons and voice. Boy, things sure does change fast when it not according to your own agenda.
This judge is biased and racist. Those who vote for her are ignorant and who have no knowledge of law. She does not deserve to be supreme court judge.
Yeah: Snow should leave the Repub Party, and they should have someone run against her, and done
Thanks, Olympia!
This Independent Obama and Sotomayor fan thanks you and Arlen Specter!
Maybe some other Reps will see the light, too!
(BTW, Mrs. Moosehunter, good luck on that 2012 run for president!
You betcha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love it with the lib brings up the Klan. Your very own Robert Byrn is a former member. This Sotomayor is nothing to do with race (unless you ask Obama, because that's why he nominated her) ... it's about the view of a living Constitution versus the Originalist/Constructionist view point. The only question need asked of SC candidates is whether they will interpret as it was written when it was written, not the meaning of those words as they exist today.
Any and all those Republicans voting for that Latina woman should be defeated in there next election or at least run over by an 18 wheeler.
It is so funny to hear some conservatives complain that Snowe and Martinez are not real Republicans; that in fact they are Democrats in disguise and should leave the GOP. Well, I couldn't agree more, please let all the moderate Republicans get in the Democratic party... we tolerate all kinds of views
And when the GOP will be done with their ideological cleansing, the Democrats will control the vast majority of congress and house!!
Oh Dear!!! What a colamity this will be if she is boarded.
I see a quote saying Sotomayor "is thoughtful, demanding". As long as she's not thoughtful about ignoring the Constitution or demanding I give up my gun or rifle for personal defense.
The Republicans spit on Ms. Sotomayor for three days then praise her....
@Steve, in NC
You're rather foolish to believe this nominee outsmarted the Republicans. She shelled out evasive non-responses all week. Her strategy was to stall, not say anything specific, and avoid any serious gaffes.
It is obvious that Judge Sotomayor was smarter and knew the law better than anyone of the Republican senators! Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning have to vote no to cater to the bigots in their state of Kentucky. McConnell is at best a mediocre lawyer and Bunning was a jock with a minimal education. Compared to Judge Sotomayor, both are intellectually handicapped. They couldn't get into Princeton or Yale Law if their life depended on it!
You GOP supporters are just digging your own graves with your racist comments against women and hispanics. Relics who follow the views of people like Buchanan will soon be a thing of the past. So will the GOP if you arent careful.
Wonder if all that black hair dye has soaked into snowes' brain.
2 GOP, 1 Lady + 1 Latino – White GOP Men = Judge Sotomayor is my pick!
Thanks, Olympia, for having the courage to vote for what's best for the country and not just for what's best for a political party.
I am so sick of the repos I will never vote for any of them. They lost the election so get over it and start working to improve the country.
I'm just curious which country the Republicans work for ...
For it certainly is not America ...
To Andy – specter left the repubbies already and snowe should also. obama has a whole warehouse full of these sotomayers – they are a dime a dozen – she is simply a smoke screen to cover them while they try to SNEAK government rationed health care and crap and tax thru on the American Taxpayer.
The toothless bulldog! this party needs a clean new broom to clean the mess of the last eight years in power!
Olympia Snowe is probably the best republican senator we have and I applaud her for reaching out and voting for one of the best judges ever nominated to the supreme court by any president since Thurgood Marshall was nominated.
I am thrilled to have a judge as qualified as Sotomayor to become the next supreme court judge. She will be able to hold the line against Scalia, Roberts, Thomas, and Alito, which had litte experience to become supreme court judges.
The Robert"s court has handed down mostly 5 to 4 decisions, and then they tell you are following the law, that is cow manure–sloppy.
It is great to find a few Republicans who aren't brain dead. Do you think Rush will allow them to remain in the party or will he throw them out?
Walter Cronkiite dead. I picked up a book for just $3-00 a year ago.
It's like new. Sombody paid $14 for it in 1996. "A Reporter Life".
What happened to those who believe that actions speak louder than words? Her written opinions clearly demonstrate that she follows the law and precedent. No "wild eyed" liberal – good pick for Suprene Court.