Opinion: Sotomayor hearings: Remember, Sen. Cornyn, there are Latinos in Texas

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Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy just stuck it to Sen. John Cornyn pretty good.

After Cornyn finished a tough round of questions of the nominee, Leahy stated that he was entering ‘into the record’ a letter of support from Latino chambers of commerce across the nation. But Leahy specifically mentioned the chambers from Odessa, Dallas, Houston -- all in Texas.

It couldn’t be lost on Cornyn, a Texas Republican, that Leahy was warning him that there could be a political price to pay for opposing Sotomayor. Leahy also threw in an Arizona reference, no doubt for the benefit of Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz).

-- James Oliphant

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