Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor received rare praise from GOP critics Thursday, wrapping up three days of questioning and witness testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C.

During the afternoon, outside witnesses spoke for and against Sotomayor, who was not present to their testimonies. Among those speaking on the 55-year-old judge's behalf were Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau.

"I strongly believe she should be supported by Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. And I should know, because I've been all three," said Bloomberg.

Two members of the New Haven Fire Department, Frank Ricci and Lieutenant Ben Vargas, also testified about Sotomayor and her ruling in the reverse racial discrimination case that they had filed.

Linda Chavez of the Center for Equal Opportunity, who was the first Hispanic woman nominated to the U.S. Cabinet, said that Sotomayor had "drunk deep from the well of identity politics" and the nominee's prejudices would cloud her judgment.

Yet Morgenthau, who hired Sotomayor to the district attorney's office straight out of law school, said that she was an unbiased, exemplary lawyer.

"She didn't treat minorities any differently from anybody," said Morgenthau. "She was tough but fair."

Multiple times during her responses Thursday, Sotomayor instructed the committee members to "look at my record" for proof how she feels about certain issues.

A major Republican critic of the Bronx native, Senator Lindsey Graham, said following his questioning Thursday that he feels more comfortable about her going to the Supreme Court.

Graham said that she's done well, despite the fact that she "said some things that just bug the hell out of me."

"You have been very reassuring here today and throughout this
hearing that you're going to try to understand the difference
between judging and whatever political feelings you have about
groups or gender," he said.

On the first day of the hearing, Graham predicted that the first Hispanic female nominee would be confirmed barring a "meltdown."

The Bronx native avoided saying much on Wednesday about her views on hot-button issues including abortion and gun rights during the third day of her hearings.

Her answers frustrated some of the members, including Republican-turned-Democratic Senator Arlen Specter. He later said that he was also confident she will be confirmed.

"Conventional wisdom is very strong for your confirmation," he said.

One of Sotomayor's most enthusiastic supporters, Senator Dianne Feinstein, used the proceedings to ask Sotomayor about being a role model for women.

My career as a judge has shown me that regardless of what my desires were, that my life, what I have accomplished, does serve as an inspiration for others," she said. "It's sort of an awesome sense of responsibility.

The judiciary committee is expected to vote on the nomination next week.

The committee chair says it's scheduled for Tuesday, unless committee Republicans object. Under the committee rules, the GOP can delay the vote for a week.

A vote by the full Senate to confirm Sotomayor is expected in early August, allowing her to take the judicial oath and participate in a hearing scheduled for September 9th on a case involving federal campaign finance law.