Lindsey Graham knows how it feels to be a Democrat. At least, a certain kind.

Before voting in favor of President Obama's first Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, in the Senate Judiciary Committee's executive meeting this morning, Graham sought to explain why he chose to break from his fellow Republicans on the committee.

Glancing to his colleagues on either side of him, the South Carolinian said: "To my colleagues who voted no, I understand, I completely understand."

But then he looked across the table at the Democrats and continued: "To my colleagues who voted for Justice [John] Roberts, I'm better understanding what you went through."

Singling out Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Wisconsin Democrats Russell Feingold and Herb Kohl, who all voted in favor of Roberts' confirmation in 2005, Graham said, "You decided to vote for a man you would not have chosen. I am deciding to vote for a woman that I would not have chosen."

Graham also took a subtle jab at fellow Republican Charles Grassley. The Iowa senator had said several minutes earlier that he regretted his vote to confirm David Souter in 1990, that he had doubts about President George H.W. Bush's nominee because of his judicial philosophy and comments he'd made. Grassley voted against Sotomayor's confirmation, citing similar concerns.

"To my good friend Senator Grassley," Graham said, Sotomayor "can be no worse than Souter from our point of view, so there is not going to be a major shift in the balance of power here."