Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., today announced his backing for Sonia Sotomayor in a floor speech, praising her "extraordinary" judicial record and highlighting the diversity she will bring to the Supreme Court if confirmed.

As a former chairman and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, Specter is a key voice on the nomination, though his position is complicated by his recent switch to the Democratic Party. Bucking his former GOP colleagues, Specter expressed support for the confirmation hearings timetable set by Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., which Republicans have complained is unnecessarily rushed.

"I think Chairman Leahy was correct in moving the hearing date so that the confirmation process could be concluded in time for Judge Sotomayor, if confirmed, to sit with the court during September when the court will decide what cases it will hear," Specter said. "A great deal of the important work of the Supreme Court of the United States is decided on what cases they decide not to hear."

Specter acknowledged the issues that have framed the debate surrounding Sotomayor's nomination so far, including her "wise Latina woman" comment and the New Haven firefighters' case. But, he said, "The nuances of affirmative action don't lend themselves too well to brief newspaper articles or sound bites on the talk shows. They're made for a Supreme Court hearing."

Specter faces a likely primary challenge in a state with a sizable Hispanic population.

The senator also discussed a letter he sent to Sotomayor this week that asks for her views on the court's deference to congressional fact-finding when evaluating legislation.

In the letter, Specter expresses concern that Chief Justice John Roberts' oral arguments in Northwest Austin v. Holder, a pending case that challenges provisions of the Voting Rights Act, seem to contradict statements he made to Specter on congressional fact-finding during his 2005 confirmation hearings. The letter asks for Sotomayor's opinion on the issue, and specifically on Roberts' 2005 statements.