Sotomayor Confirmation: Senate's Lone Hispanic Republican Mel Martinez Backs Sotomayor

WASHINGTON -- The Senate's lone Hispanic Republican says he'll vote for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

Florida Republican Mel Martinez calls Sotomayor well-qualified and says he takes great pride as a Hispanic American in her historic achievement.

He's the second Republican to publicly announce his intention to vote for Sotomayor. Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, the Senate's most senior Republican, announced earlier Friday he would support President Barack Obama's first Supreme Court nominee.

Martinez, who is not seeking re-election, was born in Cuba. Sotomayor is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents.

Comments

[Tugar]

07:52 PM on 08/08/2009

JUST PLAIN TIRED OF PLAYING BY THE WHACKY GOP RULES AND STANDARDS !

Sen. Martinez just cast one of his final votes in support of seating Justice Sonia Sotomayor on our nation's Supreme Court, which I am quite sure did not sit well with his Republican colleagues to say the least. But being the stand up guy that he is, he did so !

I thank him for doing so, because I believe she will be an asset to the court, giving the court a balance of fairness to all who comes before them. Not because of her own or anyone else's race, color or ethnicity, but because she is a qualified woman who came up through the same life situations facing most of America, and in doing so, she acquired the education, judicial experience and achievements in life, with hard work and sacrifice to be an excellent addition to the court.

So, I can only commend Senator Martinez for doing what was right, and wish him the very best in life for his future. He is truly a decent and honorable man.

CONGRATULATIONS SENATOR, I WISH YOU WELL..... AND GOD SPEED !

[Texas4Obama]

12:45 AM on 07/19/2009

Thank you Sen. Martinez.
You appear to be much wiser than those old republican white men from the south ;)

[jimburn]

03:31 PM on 07/17/2009

He is smart enough to know that today's GOP does not want him or any other Hispanic in their party. He knows it's time to leave.

[lagumbo]

03:06 PM on 07/17/2009

His vote will be appericated, but thank God he is not running for reelection.