Sotomayor admitted she was surprised the line from her stock speech had caused such a political furor as she tried to downplay the controversy.

She acknowledged that it "left an impression that I believe that life experiences commanded a result in a case. But that's clearly not what I do as a judge."

Sotomayor said she used the line in front of mainly Hispanic audiences to try to urge those hearing her to excel in the legal arena.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tried to get Sotomayor to say the line herself at the hearing, but she didn't budge, so he read it for Senators.

"Do you understand ma'am, that if I had said anything like that, and my reasoning is that I am trying to inspire somebody, they would have had my head. Do you understand that?" Graham asked.

It was the second straight day that Graham bluntly made clear his frustration with her speeches, as he urged her not to take up speechwriting if her new job didn't work out.

If we use some boxing parlance here, there were punches landed, but no haymakers or left hooks that left the witness out on her feet.

Democrats did what Senators do when it's a nominee from their own party, as they mainly spent time defending Sotomayor from GOP attacks and engaged in few tough lines of questioning.

If you were looking for Republicans to attack and savage the Judge, you didn't get that, adding fuel to the fire of those who complain that GOP Senators too often go easy on Democratic nominees while the Dems savage the Republicans.

No matter where you come out on that argument, what is clear is that Sotomayor is on her way to a new job at the Supreme Court, unless something completely unforeseen occurs.