A bit defensive, aren’t we?

(Via the Drudge Report)

President Barack Obama on Friday personally sought to deflect criticism of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, who finds herself under intensifying scrutiny for saying in 2001 that a female Hispanic judge would often reach a better decision than a white male judge. “I’m sure she would have restated it,” Obama flatly told NBC News, without indicating how he knew that.

Yeah, I’m sure she would have restated it if she had been intelligent enough to realize that bigoted statements made in public could come back to derail (Oh please, please PLEASE!) he nomination to the Supreme Court. Not exactly the thoughtful person you’d want considering questions of Constitutional law, huh?

“I think that when she’s appearing before the Senate committee, in her confirmation process, I think all this nonsense that is being spewed out will be revealed for what it is,” Obama said in the broadcast interview, clearly aware of how ethnicity and gender issues are taking hold in the debate.

Damn–did the teleprompter crash? That’s a big leap of faith. Sure, despite her major shortcomings, she’s the odd-on favorite, but stranger things have happened. And with every conservative in the US going over her with a series of ever-finer toothed combs, who knows what (or to be fair, what won’t) be dug up out of her record next.

Me, I’m betting on income tax issues. It’s been a recurring theme….