Day Three of Supreme Court hopeful Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings kicked off Wednesday morning with Judiciary Committee Republicans grilling her over whether she would rule with impartiality. The GOP opened the session hammering Sotomayor over her positions on social issues and her 2002 comment in which she said a “wise Latina— would arrive at a better conclusion than a white male in certain cases. Sotomayor spent much of Tuesday addressing that particular statement, calling it an unfortunate turn of phrase and defending her record as a fair jurist who applies, rather than makes, the law.But as she did through most of Tuesday’s questioning, Sotomayor kept her cool and didn’t appear to take the GOP’s bait. “I understand that some people have understood them in a way I never intended,— she said in response to a question from National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) about her “Latina” comment.Direct questioning of Sotomayor is expected to continue through Wednesday and could move into Thursday. The Judiciary panel could vote on her installment on the high court as early as next week.