Sonia Sotomayor said this afternoon that she doesn't agree with the analysis of judicial decision-making laid out by then-Sen. Barack Obama in opposing the nomination of John Roberts as chief justice in 2005.

At the time, Obama said that "what matters on the Supreme Court is" the "5 percent of cases that are truly difficult. In those cases, adherence to precedent and rules of construction and interpretation will only get you through the 25th mile of the marathon. That last mile can only be determined on the basis of one's deepest values, one's core concerns, one's broader perspectives on how the world works, and the depth and breadth of one's empathy."

But today, in response to a question by Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., Sotomayor said that she "wouldn't approach the issue of judging the way the president does," adding, "It's not the heart that compels conclusion in cases, it's the law."