(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.