Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)--who's been giving Barack Obama a tough time of late--has released a statement on the Sotomayor nomination. "President Obama is to be commended for selecting a nominee with a significant breadth and depth of legal experience to replace retiring Justice David Souter," Nelson says, "I look forward to learning more about Judge Sonia Sotomayor's background, record and qualifications -- and to meeting with her to discuss her judicial philosophy -- as this important United States Supreme Court nomination moves forward."

Nelson supported both of George W. Bush's Supreme Court nominees, and gave the previous President wide latitude on judicial and executive nominations in general. But in recent weeks he's become a key obstacle to the confirmation of Dawn Johnsen, who Obama nominated to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel months ago.

His full statement is below the fold.

"President Obama is to be commended for selecting a nominee with a significant breadth and depth of legal experience to replace retiring Justice David Souter. I look forward to learning more about Judge Sonia Sotomayor's background, record and qualifications -- and to meeting with her to discuss her judicial philosophy -- as this important United States Supreme Court nomination moves forward. "During my tenure as Nebraska's governor, I appointed 81 judges, including the entire Nebraska Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. As Nebraska's senator since 2001, I have voted on numerous judicial nominees. In each case, I nominated or supported judicial nominees who convinced me they would follow the law, rather than manipulate the law to promote an activist agenda. While my personal views differed from some nominees, I applied no litmus test to them on issues. My main test has always been and remains: Will the nominee follow the law and not make law to fit his or her views?

"Concerning Judge Sotomayor's nomination, I look forward to examining her entire record and commitment to upholding the law and Constitution of the United States in the coming weeks."