Analysts Examine Second Day of Sotomayor Hearings

JIM LEHRER:

And now some reaction to today's hearing from Jonathan Adler, professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and Maria Blanco, executive director of the Warren Institute at the University of California at Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law.

Professor Adler, to you first. Just in general, is this a good day or a bad day for Judge Sotomayor, from your point of view?

JONATHAN ADLER, Case Western Reserve University School of Law: Well, I think any day in which she doesn't make a major gaffe or there's no real stumble is a good day for her.

I mean, I think the strategy is to play defense, to be very careful and deliberate in her answers, and to not do anything that would cause what Senator Graham referred to yesterday as a meltdown. And I think, as long as that's what happens in the hearings, she'll get through.

JIM LEHRER:

All right. Ms. Blanco, how did you feel generally? Was this a good day for her?

MARIA BLANCO, University of California Boalt Hall School of Law: I think it was. I think that she was very careful. She was unflappable. But at the same time, she — I felt that she answered all the questions that were made of her and thoughtfully.

I don't think she came across as somehow — you know, called her as a hothead. I thought she exhibited actually the opposite quality in her deliberative answers.

I was very impressed with her knowledge of the law. I think that, even in the last exchange, where she was pressed on her "wise Latina" comment, she did a good job of basically stepping away from it and saying that perhaps she understood how others might find that unacceptable, so I thought she did very well today.