U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, second in seniority among Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement about President Obama’s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.  The Judiciary Committee is responsible for conducting nomination hearings for the Supreme Court.

“I’m pleased to learn of President Obama’s historic nomination of the first Latina to the Supreme Court.By all accounts, Judge Sotomayor is accomplished, exceptionally bright and well-respected by her peers.  It would be tough to classify her as a liberal or a conservative, and my hope is that she is a candidate I can support.  I look forward to learning more about her experience and views during her confirmation hearings later this summer.   In the meantime, I plan to reconvene my Supreme Court Nomination Task Force to review Judge Sotomayor’s qualifications and give me a balanced view of her record.”