Maybe Sotomayor's deep experiences have predisposed her to believe that reverse discrimination is not possible. Maybe not. But Republicans are on solid ground if they go after Sotomayor regarding this case. They have a duty, in fact, to grill the Supreme Court nominee aggressively on many of her decisions.
But whatever they do -- actually, this is sound advice for all organisms in the galaxy -- never, ever follow Joe Biden's lead.
During the contentious Clarence Thomas hearings, in 1991, then-Sen. Biden claimed that "the only reason Clarence Thomas is on the court is because he is black. I don't believe he could have won had he been white."
Imagine how much anger would be unleashed if a comparable statement were made about Sotomayor and Latinas. (Thomas, by the way, had a compelling personal story, graduated from Yale Law School and served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.)
Unless some unforeseen ethical questions emerge about Sotomayor, Republicans should follow their own advice and allow an up-and-down vote. Sotomayor's professional qualifications are impeccable, and her experience is impressive.
But Republicans have no reason to shy away from ideological debates or the vetting of Sotomayor, because neither is personal or "racist."
On the other hand, those who contend that a minority candidate should be treated with kid gloves? That suggests something quite ugly.