Sonia Sotomayor unexpected from former First Lady Laura Bush.

Sonia Sotomayor enters confirmation hearings for her historic nomination to the Supreme Court with reason to be confident about the outcome -- Democrats have the votes in the Senate to make her the court's first Hispanic and third woman justice.

First Lady Laura Bush called Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's Supreme Court pick, a "very interesting and good nominee" in a TV interview that aired Monday.

"As a woman I'm proud that there might be another woman on the court," Bush told ABC's "Good Morning America. "So we'll see what happens, but I wish her well."

Hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee begin Monday with opening remarks from the panel's 12 Democrats and 7 Republicans, followed by Sotomayor's own statement that is expected to emphasize her compelling rise from poverty in New York City.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who will introduce Sotomayor to the panel, predicted that Sotomayor will win significant Republican support and get more than the 78 votes, including 22 Democrats, that John Roberts received in his confirmation as chief justice in 2005. The Senate has 58 Democrats, 40 Republicans and two independents who generally side with the Democrats.