The White House on Sunday sought to get a leg up on this week’s confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor, releasing a statement describing a phone call by President Barack Obama to Sotomayor wishing her luck.The statement pointed to her “adherence to the rule of law— as a judge. Some of the criticism directed at Sotomayor has focused on whether she would let her Hispanic heritage come to play in her decision making on the Supreme Court.“President Obama called Judge Sotomayor from the Oval Office this morning to wish her good luck as she completed preparations for her confirmation hearing,— the statement said. “He complimented the Judge for making courtesy calls to 89 Senators in which she discussed her adherence to the rule of law throughout her 17 years on the federal bench. The President expressed his confidence that Judge Sotomayor would be confirmed to serve as a Justice on the Supreme Court for many years to come.—The hearings will begin Monday.