Here’s her discussion of that “wise Latina” remark:

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, (D-Vt.), offered the Supreme Court nominee an open forum to explain the most controversial remarks in her resume: That a wise Latina judge would come to a different — perhaps better — judgments than their white male counterparts.

Sotomayor, obviously ready for the query, stated “up front, unequivocally and without a doubt” that she did “not believe that any ethnic, racial or gender has an advantage in sound judging.”

“I do believe every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge,” she added, “regardless of their background or life experience.”

From there, she made a strategic political move by referencing similar remarks from retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who likewise noted how gender affected her approach from the bench.

“The words I used, I used them agreeing with the sentiment that Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was trying to convey… that both men and women were equally capable of being wise and fair judges,” said Sotomayor. “That has to be what she meant, because judges disagree about legal outcomes all of the time. I shouldn’t say all of the time, at least in close cases they do. Judges on the Supreme Court come to different conclusions. It can’t mean that one of them is unwise despite the fact that people think that.”

For the record, Senate Republicans weren’t convinced.