Sotomayor wins backers after smooth hearings

Associated Press ^ | July 17, 2009 | Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Jesse J. Holland

[Clintonfatigued]

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor won her first public pledges of support from Senate Republicans and one prominent GOP opponent, after a smooth performance at her confirmation hearings that has placed her firmly on track to become the high court's first Latina and the first Democratic-named justice in 15 years.

Three centrist Republicans announced they'd support Sotomayor even as the Senate's minority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said he'd vote no. The split was a vivid reflection of the divisions in the GOP as the party faces a tricky vote on Sotomayor, wary of alienating its conservative base but equally afraid to anger Hispanic and women voters.

[BillyBoy]

Told ya they'd roll over.

Republicans will never "Bork" a RAT judicial nominee (the last time the GOP defeated a RAT judicial nomination was during the Cleveland administration!) RATs will stoop to ANYTHING to derail a GOP nominee, even sinking to looking up Robert Bork's video rental history to try and find something "embarrassing" on him. Republicans, on the other hand, don't even have the spine to vote against a RAT judge on the Senate floor -- let alone go after them in a committee hearing.

Even normally staunch conservatives like Jeff Sessions and Tom Coburn are now saying she'll win confirmation easily.

[Impy]

Sessions words on Sotomayor explained.

[windsorknot]

Smooth when compared to the Bork hearings; when a truly good and wise judge was vilified, maligned, and excoriated. When Soto is on the bench, she will be herself again: a left-wing, activist judge.