Senate Democrats argued today's Supreme Court decision overruling a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appellate judge does not bear on her record except to highlight her tendency to judicial modesty, while Republicans tried cautiously to exploit the ruling.

"The main charge against Judge Sotomayor is that she will be an activist judge, but this decision clearly shows that she won't," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who is part of the Democratic leadership and sits on the Judiciary Committee.

"The results in this case won't change things a wit... in fact it bolsters [the claim] that she is mainstream," Schumer added in a conference call.

Senate Judiciary ranking member Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., argued the opposite. In a statement, Sessions said that "this case sharpens our focus on Judge Sotomayor's troubling speeches and writings, which indicate... that personal experiences and political views should influence a judge's decision. That theory is a breathtaking departure from the proper role of the American judge and will clearly be the subject of questioning at the upcoming hearing."

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