Hatch, Cornyn Get on GOP's Anti-Sotomayor Bandwagon

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.”

Cornyn said he weighed his choices and concluded a yes vote “would certainly be the politically expedient thing to do,” but the “stakes are simply too high for me to confirm someone who could address all these issues from a liberal, activist perspective.” Seven other GOP senators have pledged to oppose Sotomayor in the Tuesday committee vote. (More Orrin Hatch stories.)