WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Tom Coburn evoked a 1950s TV show Wednesday when he said to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, ''You have a lot of 'splainin' to do!'' The line was a reference to television character Ricky Ricardo, who is generally viewed as a primitive stereotype of a Hispanic male.

Many in the audience questioned Senator Coburn's comment, which they say was demeaning to the woman who would become the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.

On further questioning by reporters, Senator Coburn emphatically stated that he wasn't biased against Hispanics, insisting that at hearings for previous nominees he said, "Scalia, you're-a one-a spicy meat-a-ball!" and "Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Clarence?"