Washington (CNN) Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch came to the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday prepared to deliver a clear message: I'm a judge, not a politician.

He stressed on several occasions that he is independent from the President who has appointed him, that as a judge he "doesn't give a whit" about politics, and that he treats his plaintiffs fairly.

Sitting at a small table, he turned to listen to each senator as they spoke, hour after hour, carefully writing notes before launching into his replies. The questions -- even on hot-button issues such as abortion, the travel ban and controversial Supreme Court opinions -- never rattled him. He showed command of the law and pushed back if a senator tried to cut his answer short.

At times he showed glimpses of his personality, revealing a favorite book ("The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy"), relating stories of rodeos in Colorado, and more than once exclaiming "oh goodness" when he disagreed with a question.

More important for his nomination, he consistently resisted attempts to drag him into politics.

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