18 seconds ago 2009-11-27T20:56:44-08:00
It's rare to see a senator apologize for the actions of people on their own side. But we saw Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a strong anti-abortion advocate do just that this morning.
An obstetrician and a conservative, Coburn grilled Sonia Sotomayor on abortion law. But before he got into that, he first issued an apology to her and rebuked the anti-abortion protesters that interrupted the first two days of the confirmation hearing.
"I apologize to you for the outburst that occurred in this committee. Anybody who values life like I do and is pro-life recognizes that the way you change minds is not yell at people, is you love them," Coburn said. "And you care about their concerns and you create a level of understanding, not condemnation. And so, for that, I apologize."
Five anti-abortion protesters interrupted the hearing shouting slogans in the first two days.
-Jesse J. Holland, AP reporter, Supreme Court
