Democrats are debating how to respond to criticism of a comment by U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor some Republicans have called racist.

Sotomayor, whose parents were from Puerto Rico, made the comment in 2001 at a University of California at Berkeley conference on diversity: "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called the nominee a "Latina racist" this week. Other conservatives have jumped on the comment.

Lanny Davis, who served as a spokesman for President Bill Clinton, said the Obama administration should concede that Soto mayor "misspoke," Politico reported. Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia politics professor, said she should "take it back."

A congressional staffer suggested Sotomayor can use her private meetings with congressional representatives to clarify her remark, saying her words will leak to the media.

But other Democrats say Sotomayor and the White House should hang tough.

"The White House should be forceful. They should not be defensive," said Donna Brazile, the first black woman to manage a major party presidential campaign.

Brazile said Gingrich's comment is likely to backfire on the Republicans.