Patrick Leahy: “I am doing that because Professor Bender asked that this be made known to the Senate, especially as he has been quoted…”

“I am doing that because Professor Bender asked that this be made known to the Senate, especially as he has been quoted as having changed his mind. He still opposes Mr. Estrada. I will quote him again. He says: I have not changed my opinion of the nomination, nor have I ever said to anyone that I had changed my opinion. He makes it very clear that he feels he has been misquoted on the Senate floor. He may feel it was done inadvertently. He said, ``Someone must have inadvertently given you incorrect information about this,'' making it very clear that he was misquoted. I know what he means. It is easy to get misquoted around here. Earlier this week a Republican Senator misquoted me in the Senate Chamber. The Senator who purported to quote my words certainly could not have known that he was quoting me incorrectly. I can't believe--I would be shocked to think somebody would come here and quote me out of context or incorrectly to make a partisan point. I would be as shocked as Claude Raines was in ``Casablanca.'' So people understand, the statement I did make on June 18, 1998, was to protest the anonymous Republican hold in the consideration of the judicial nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor.”