Sonia Sotomayor gave her definition of "identity politics" this morning in an exchange with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. She then sought to distance herself from the term.

While the term is a perennial in the national political conversation -- and especially in the weeks since Sotomayor was nominated -- senators had not brought it up during the hearings until today.

Identity politics is "politics based simply on a person's characteristics, generally referred to either race or ethnicity or gender, religion." Sotomayor said. Do you embrace it? Graham asked. "I don't as a judge," she replied. "As a person, I do believe that certain groups have and should express their views on whatever social issues may be out there."

She emphasized, though, that as she understands identity politics, it's a term that's "usually denigrated. And that I don't believe in. Whatever a group advocates, obviously it advocates on behalf of its interests, but I would never endorse a group advocating something that's contrary to some basic Constitutional right as it's known at the time."