--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In my first week as a U.S. senator, I had…" description: "\"In my first week as a U.S. senator, I had the privilege of participating in the Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Judge Sonia Sotomayor.\" — Al Fra..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/694/al-franken-1407_confirmation_in-my-first-week-as-a-u-s-senator-i-had_243220.png" --- # In my first week as a U.S. senator, I had the privilege of… ![“In my first week as a U.S. senator, I had the privilege of participating in the Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Judge Sonia Sotomayor.” quote by Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/694/al-franken-1407_confirmation_in-my-first-week-as-a-u-s-senator-i-had_243220.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/694/al-franken-1407_confirmation_in-my-first-week-as-a-u-s-senator-i-had_243220.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/694/al-franken-1407_confirmation_in-my-first-week-as-a-u-s-senator-i-had_243220.png) > “In my first week as a U.S. senator, I had the privilege of participating in the Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Judge Sonia Sotomayor.” [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on early Senate duties, highlighting participation in a high‑profile judicial confirmation as a notable early experience. **In simple terms:** Early Senate work included a Supreme Court hearing. Key Takeaway Recognize early opportunities to shape major decisions. Themes politics career judicial process Mood proud reflective Type anecdotal political When to use this quote - senate orientation - judicial hearings - policy influence Key Concepts legislative experience judicial confirmation public service Questions to Reflect On - How did this experience shape your view of the judiciary? - What responsibilities come with early high‑stakes assignments? A Different Perspective Early exposure may not reflect long‑term impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confirmation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confirmation/) [Confirmation Hearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confirmation-hearing-2433981/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Hearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearing/) [Judge Sonia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judge-sonia-2433983/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Participating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/participating/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Privilege Participating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege-participating-2433984/) [Senator Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senator-privilege-2433980/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sonia-sotomayor/) [Supreme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supreme/) [Supreme court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supreme-court/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) [Week Senator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week-senator-2433982/) ## Related quotes > [“I promised her we’d be quick, and Ben and I slipped away, just in time to hear Senator Blaine clear his throat and say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-duff/i-promised-her-we-d-be-quick-and-ben-and-i-slipped-away-just-in-time/) [Hilary Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-duff/) > [ When I had my confirmation hearing for the Court of Appeals, \[my son\] Philip was 3 years old. And when I was called up… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-alito/when-i-had-my-confirmation-hearing-for-the-court-of-appeals-my-son/) [Samuel Alito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-alito/) > [“If Republicans care about the Constitution, they have to find the courage to say no or lose their constituencies and ultimately their cause. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/if-republicans-care-about-the-constitution-they-have-to-find-the/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [My Democratic colleagues should not forget that President Obama's Supreme Court nominees Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were both given up or down votes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/my-democratic-colleagues-should-not-forget-that-president-obama-s/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [Sonia Sotomayor is uniquely and exquisitely sensitive to race issues because she is a Latina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dahlia-lithwick/sonia-sotomayor-is-uniquely-and-exquisitely-sensitive-to-race-issues/) [Dahlia Lithwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dahlia-lithwick/) > [I don't think he would have had any trouble answering Justice Sonia Sotomayor's excellent challenge in a case involving GPS surveillance. She said we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-rosen/i-don-t-think-he-would-have-had-any-trouble-answering-justice-sonia/) [Jeffrey Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-rosen/) > [There are so many really good role models out there, we just have to make sure that we don't glorify just one type. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/there-are-so-many-really-good-role-models-out-there-we-just-have-to/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [Reactionary conservatives are smiling through the racial apocalypse. To them, race baiting is a joke, as 'humorist' Rush Limbaugh will tell you when he's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/reactionary-conservatives-are-smiling-through-the-racial-apocalypse/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Tester voted for President Obama's nominations of Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan but opposed President Trump's nomination of Neil Gorsuch. That's not representing our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-rosendale/tester-voted-for-president-obama-s-nominations-of-sonia-sotomayor-and/) [Matt Rosendale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-rosendale/) > [If Democrats get another Elena Kagan, who has no business being there, if they get another Senorita Sonia Sotomayor, if they get another Stephen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/if-democrats-get-another-elena-kagan-who-has-no-business-being-there/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ I understand that during \[Sonia Sotomayor's\] career, she's written hundreds and hundreds of opinions. I haven't read a single one of them, and if… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/i-understand-that-during-sonia-sotomayor-s-career-she-s-written/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [“When RBG fretted over the first dry opinion the chief justice assigned her, O'Connor gave her a pep talk. As RBG read that opinion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irin-carmon/when-rbg-fretted-over-the-first-dry-opinion-the-chief-justice/) [Irin Carmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irin-carmon/) > [We made history when President Obama appointed Sonia Sotomayor, a proud Latina, the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. And as the President likes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-gonzalez/we-made-history-when-president-obama-appointed-sonia-sotomayor-a/) [Charlie Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-gonzalez/) > [To hear both critics and defenders talk about the fitness of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court, you'd think the most successful Supreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/to-hear-both-critics-and-defenders-talk-about-the-fitness-of-judge/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) ## More by Al Franken > [I want to reclaim 'liberal.' I'm a liberal, and I think most Americans are liberals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-want-to-reclaim-liberal-i-m-a-liberal-and-i-think-most-americans/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“The Democratic Senator’s Serenity Prayer God Grant Me the Serenity to Accept the Things I Cannot Legislate The Courage to Legislate the Things I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/the-democratic-senator-s-serenity-prayer-god-grant-me-the-serenity-to/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I'm for Israel's right to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-m-for-israel-s-right-to-exist/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [You have to love your country like an adult loves somebody, not like a child loves its mommy. And right-wing Republicans tend to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/you-have-to-love-your-country-like-an-adult-loves-somebody-not-like-a/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Antitrust law isn't about protecting competing businesses from each other, it's about protecting competition itself on behalf of the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/antitrust-law-isn-t-about-protecting-competing-businesses-from-each/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Putin has had many positive experiences working with Western political leaders whose business interests made them more disposed to deal with Russia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/putin-has-had-many-positive-experiences-working-with-western/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I'm crushed by the responsibility of writing a satirical book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-m-crushed-by-the-responsibility-of-writing-a-satirical-book/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“right wing’s most common techniques—including the deceptive use of statistics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/right-wing-s-most-common-techniques-including-the-deceptive-use-of/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I know I have an awful lot to learn from the people of Minnesota.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-know-i-have-an-awful-lot-to-learn-from-the-people-of-minnesota/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Apple has long been a leading innovator of mobile technology; I myself own an iPhone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/apple-has-long-been-a-leading-innovator-of-mobile-technology-i-myself/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I am a Minnesotan, and not just because I root for the Vikings and the Twins. I like the Minnesota-nice sensibility. I like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-am-a-minnesotan-and-not-just-because-i-root-for-the-vikings-and-the/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [My dad didn't graduate from high school, ended up being a printing salesman, probably never made more than $8,000 a year. My mom sold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/my-dad-didn-t-graduate-from-high-school-ended-up-being-a-printing/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“As the polls began closing in the East, with states like New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Virginia going for Barack Obama, it was quickly becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/as-the-polls-began-closing-in-the-east-with-states-like-new-hampshire/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Net neutrality isn't a government takeover of the Internet, as many of my Republican colleagues have alleged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/net-neutrality-isn-t-a-government-takeover-of-the-internet-as-many-of/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Demagoguery sells. And therefore, radio stations will put it on. But that doesn't mean that you can't do something else and also make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/demagoguery-sells-and-therefore-radio-stations-will-put-it-on-but/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) [Explore all 245 Al Franken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) ## More Confirmation quotes > [The question for the Republicans running the confirmation hearings in the United States Senate is whose rules are they going to use?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-question-for-the-republicans-running-the-confirmation-hearings-in/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins is an essential covenant to make with the Lord. Faith and repentance precede this ordinance. Confirmation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-theodore-tuttle/baptism-by-immersion-for-the-remission-of-sins-is-an-essential/) [A. Theodore Tuttle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-theodore-tuttle/) > [The realization that my problem was one that concerned all men, a problem of living and thinking, suddenly swept over me and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-realization-that-my-problem-was-one-that-concerned-all-men-a/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The human understanding, when any preposition has been once laid down... forces everything else to add fresh support and confirmation; and although more cogent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-human-understanding-when-any-preposition-has-been-once-laid-down/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [“I was living for one thing only, and that was to confirm my own lack of feeling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-was-living-for-one-thing-only-and-that-was-to-confirm-my-own-lack/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Instead of using this space to pretend the newly released CIA 'torture' report confirms that the United States is the most evil nation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-limbaugh/instead-of-using-this-space-to-pretend-the-newly-released-cia-torture/) [David Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-limbaugh/) > [I am not myself free or human until or unless I recognize the freedom and humanity of all my fellowmen... I am truly free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/i-am-not-myself-free-or-human-until-or-unless-i-recognize-the-freedom/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [Had Christ not risen we could not believe Him to be what He declared Himself when He "made Himself equal with God." But He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-warfield/had-christ-not-risen-we-could-not-believe-him-to-be-what-he-declared/) [B. B. Warfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-warfield/) > [I write to withdraw as a nominee to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. ... I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-miers/i-write-to-withdraw-as-a-nominee-to-serve-as-an-associate-justice-on/) [Harriet Miers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-miers/) > [No senator's vote, except for the declaration of war or the authorization for the use of force, is more important than the confirmation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlen-specter/no-senator-s-vote-except-for-the-declaration-of-war-or-the/) [Arlen Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlen-specter/) > [Even before the hearings that led to confirmation of Chief Justice Roberts, senators were saying they were reserving judgment on how they would vote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-perino/even-before-the-hearings-that-led-to-confirmation-of-chief-justice/) [Dana Perino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-perino/) > [When a spectator approaches a painting with his own particular set of filters or theories, be they historical, political, intellectual or whatever - he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-portway/when-a-spectator-approaches-a-painting-with-his-own-particular-set-of/) [Douglas Portway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-portway/) > [“I have known friendship love, parental love, romantic love, family love and unrequited love in my life time, but the only love that made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/i-have-known-friendship-love-parental-love-romantic-love-family-love/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [There's no confirmation process for the staffers that the president puts around him at the White House. Those are the people he chooses to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-page/there-s-no-confirmation-process-for-the-staffers-that-the-president/) [Susan Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-page/) > [The prayer of faith is a prayer willing to believe and prevail for God's answer in a situation that is utterly impossible. Regardless of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-l-duewel/the-prayer-of-faith-is-a-prayer-willing-to-believe-and-prevail-for/) [Wesley L Duewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-l-duewel/) [Browse all 222 Confirmation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confirmation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In my first week as a U.S. senator, I had the privilege of participating in the Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Judge Sonia Sotomayor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Al Franken" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/in-my-first-week-as-a-u-s-senator-i-had-the-privilege-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Confirmation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/in-my-first-week-as-a-u-s-senator-i-had-the-privilege-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/694/al-franken-1407_confirmation_in-my-first-week-as-a-u-s-senator-i-had_243220.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/694/al-franken-1407_confirmation_in-my-first-week-as-a-u-s-senator-i-had_243220.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/694/al-franken-1407_confirmation_in-my-first-week-as-a-u-s-senator-i-had_243220.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In my first week as a U.S. senator, I had the privilege of participating in the Supreme Court confirmation…” — Al Franken", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Al Franken", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In my first week as a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/in-my-first-week-as-a-u-s-senator-i-had-the-privilege-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/in-my-first-week-as-a-u-s-senator-i-had-the-privilege-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```