In a press conference today, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., underscored an increasingly familiar Democratic line: that Sonia Sotomayor would bring exceptional qualifications -- as well as ethnic diversity -- to the court. Menendez was accompanied by representatives from the Hispanic National Bar Association and the National Latino Peace Officers Association. Vice President Joe Biden held a similar event a few weeks ago at the White House with eight national law enforcement agencies touting Sotomayor's record on criminal cases.

When asked after the conference about a fine line some say the White House and Democrats are walking -- touting Sotomayor's racial heritage while at the same saying it's not a factor -- Menendez reiterated a familiar talking point: that it's the "totality of her experiences" that qualify Sotomayor for the Supreme Court.

During the presser, Art Acevedo, president of the National Latino Peace Officers Association, said Republican complaints about not having enough time to research Sotomayor's record are disingenuous. "If she is not on the court in October, it will be because of politics," Acevedo said.

These arguments have served Democrats well so far in the process, said one conservative observer. "I think they thought the nomination would put Senate Republicans in a box, and that game is still going on," said Ed Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and contributor to National Review's Bench Memos blog. "They're trying to build that box and make it tight."