Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., put all the criticism of Sonia Sotomayor on the table as hearings began today. After briefly talking about Sotomayor's record on criminal cases, Leahy pre-emptively asked her about many of his GOP colleagues' concerns, including the "wise Latina woman" remark, Ricci v. DeStefano and the gun rights case Maloney v. Cuomo.

After Leahy gave Sotomayor the floor to respond to critics of the "wise Latina" comment -- including the earlier charges of racism by the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich -- Sotomayor smiled. The audience took in a collective breath, anticipating her response that has been building for the last several weeks.

"Thank you for giving me an opportunity to explain my remarks," Sotomayor said. "No words have I ever spoken or written ever received so much attention."

She said the comment was meant as an encouragement to audiences of women lawyers and young Latino and Latina lawyers. "I was trying to inspire them that different life experiences and backgrounds would enrich the legal system, because different backgrounds always do."

"I want to give everyone assurances," she added. "I want to state up front unequivocally and without doubt: I do not believe that any ethnic, racial or gender group has an advantage in sound judging."

Leahy disparaged the critics who have called Sotomayor racist and maintained that she was simply applying precedent in Ricci and Maloney. Sotomayor didn't elaborate much beyond that on the two cases.

She did, however, go out of her way to demonstrate respect for gun owners when Leahy mentioned Maloney. "I understand how important the right to bear arms is to many, many Americans," Sotomayor said. "In fact, one of my godchildren is a member of the NRA, and I have friends who hunt." Ranking member Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., has urged the National Rifle Association to mobilize during the hearings.