Patrick Leahy actually said...

"Any nomination--any nomination--to the Court is historic."

"What do you say to people who say you're soft on crime or even anti-law enforcement because you accepted your duties as a public defender?"

"I believe that your experience as a Federal public defender has made you a better judge, helped you maintain impartial and balanced perspective in criminal and other cases."

"One doesn't have to have the same political beliefs or ideologies as a judicial nominee to recognize their integrity and intellect."