Sotomayor Wins Republicans' Backing

(AP) - Republicans cleared the way today for a Senate vote next month to confirm Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, placing her firmly in line to become the first Hispanic justice. "I look forward to you getting that vote before we recess in August," said Jeff Sessions, the senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee. He spoke as Sotomayor neared the end of three grueling days in the committee's witness chair. More»

(NEWSER) - In an indication that conservative Republicans are uniting against Sonia Sotomayor, Senate Judiciary Committee members John Cornyn and Orrin Hatch today pledged to vote against her, CNN reports. Though moderate Republicans worry opposition could hurt the party with Hispanics, the conservative base has lobbied hard against the Supreme Court nominee. Hatch’s decision was particularly surprising: The Utahan has voted for every nominee in his 32-year career and had praised Sotomayor’s “experience.” More»

Dems go lightly; GOP eyes history outside of court

(NEWSER) - With Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation a virtual certainty and her appointment unlikely to change the direction of the Supreme Court, last week's toothless hearings held few surprises. Except, that is, for observers who were hoping the Senate Judiciary Committee would press for substantive Q-and-A, Joan Biskupic writes for USA Today. “I was dumbstruck by the fact that the GOP senators spent so little time trying to pin her down,” says a former high court clerk. More»

(NEWSER) - Day 2 of Sonia Sotomayor's Senate confirmation hearings have wrapped up, with the all-but-certain nominee disagreeing at one point with President Obama's assertion in 2007 that a judge's "heart" is important in rulings, reports Politico. “I wouldn’t approach the issue of judging in the way the president does," she told Sen. Jon Kyl. "Judges can’t rely on what’s in their heart. ... The job of a (judge) is to apply the law." More»

(NEWSER) - After listening to senators air their issues for most of the day, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor finally got the microphone at the end of her confirmation hearing today, telling senators she would serve the “larger interest of impartial justice," the AP reports. Sotomayor also took an apparent swipe at GOP critics who had questioned her impartiality. “My personal and professional experiences help me listen and understand,” she said, “with the law always commanding the result in every case.” More»