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Sessions: Sotomayor's testimony is "muddled, confusing, backtracking"
By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
07/15/09 12:19 PM EDT
During a break in the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings, Sen. Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, was asked whether Sotomayor has been "forthcoming" in her testimony, particularly in her explanations of several controversial speeches she has given.
"How forthcoming is she being," a reporter asked, "and is it any different from what Justices Roberts and Alito did during their hearings?"
"I don't think her testimony is close to the clarity and consistency of Judges Roberts and Alito," Sessions answered. "I just don't think it is. It's muddled, confusing, backtracking on issue after issue -- and these are things that many of us have spoken on on the floor over the past several weeks, so it's not as if they are surprise issues. So I frankly am a bit disappointed in the lack of clarity and consistency in her answers."
A few moments later, Sen. John Cornyn, who questioned Sotomayor this morning, was asked whether he believes Sotomayor "is telling the truth when she explains what she really meant in these speeches?"
"I haven't reached a conclusion on that," Cornyn answered. "I just think logical minds would like to find some way to reconcile it, and I haven't seen that yet, by what she's said."
-Byron York
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