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As expected, via Hotline On Call:
Along largely partisan lines, the Senate Judiciary Cmte backed SCOTUS appointee Sonia Sotomayor, Pres. Obama’s first high court pick, this morning by a 13-6 vote.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was the only Republican to support Sotomayor. The Senate cmte’s Dems voted unanimously for the Bronx native.
Full confirmation next.

Irresistible.

He’s on the Senate floor right now praising Sonia Sotomayor’s “extraordinary record of academic achievement,” inspiring “life story,” and “great work ethic.”
He squawks several times that “elections have consequences.”
Predicts that she will be no more liberal than Souter.
“Time will tell.”
“There are things about this nominee that are troubling.”
But he’s gonna vote for her anyway.
“Do we [...]

Scroll down for liveblog and updates…
Today, it’s the SCOTUS ceremonial dance with the Senate.
Republicans will delicately challenge Sonia Somotmayor on racial preferences, Second Amendment rights, property rights, sovereignty issues, and her extracurricular speechifying.
Democrats will bloviate about pet causes (”consumer-friendly” laws, the environment).
Sonia the Wise will assuage skeptics with repeated insistences that she’s “fair,” “impartial,” and [...]

As predicted and expected, the Senate Sotomayor hearing this morning has been marinated in rhetoric about “overcoming adversity.” (Plus two disruptions from protesters. Immediately quelled by Capitol police.)
Sen. Feinstein praised Sotomayor’s “warmth.” (Did she take her temperature?)
Sen. Kyl made a measured, comprehensive case challenging Sotomayor’s biases and prejudices on race and foreign law.
Sen. Schumer performed [...]

Able to leap tall life obstacles in a single bound!
It’s opening day of the Senate SCOTUS hearings on the Sonia Sotomayor nomination. We’ll get gavel-to-gavel coverage this morning on all major networks and CSPAN starting at 10am Eastern.
The good news: At least we’ll be spared Joe Biden’s bloviations.
That’s about the only positive thing I can [...]

From the Seattle Times op-ed page:
“Sotomayor’s nomination is historic also because she is living successfully with diabetes.”
By contrast, the blogosphere has something other than puff pieces on Sotomayor to offer.
For example: Does Sotomayor have tax problems?
See here from law professor Glenn Reynolds and here from tax professor Paul Caron.
From Ed Whelan at The Bench: Ruth [...]

Black and white.

The White House will hold a press conference this morning with Joe Biden announcing law enforcement support for SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Advocacy groups have always thrown their weight around during the confirmation process, but convening official White House events to make such announcements is a bit unusual. A friend jokes: Is Sotomayor running for [...]

Able to leap tall life obstacles in a single bound!

On Fox News Channel this morning, Sen. Claire McCaskill dutifully read her “compelling personal story” talking points and hyped Sonia Sotomayor’s compelling personal background while whitewashing her legal record. (RCP Video has the clip here.)
Incredibly, McCaskill was not aware that Sotomayor had said “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of [...]

So, it’s Sonia Sotomayor. Identity politics triumphs. Here’s the bio/record info I shared at the beginning of the month:

“Judge Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court would be very concerning given her hard-left record on the Court of Appeals, where she is recognized by practitioners as one of the more liberal judges.
-Judge Sotomayor’s personal views [...]

Hope you are well-rested from the Memorial Day weekend. Lots on the docket — literally. Obama’s SCOTUS pick is widely rumored to be revealed sometime this week:
In a C-SPAN interview that aired this weekend, Obama said he hoped for hearings on his eventual nominee in July, followed by a final confirmation vote before Congress recesses [...]

Fight back.

Okay, the part about Janet Napolitano being in the running for Supreme Court justice is a stomach-turner. It’s the part at the end that is the snort-inducer of the day so far:
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was studiously evasive Sunday about whether she coveted an appointment to the Supreme Court, as Republicans and Democrats sparred [...]

Conservatives in Washington are gearing up for the SCOTUS battle. My legal sources have compiled sketches of Obama’s top three likely picks and their records. Gird your loins:
Elena Kagan

“Dean Kagan’s nomination to the Supreme Court would be concerning given her complete lack of judicial or appellate experience. She has never been a judge or [...]

Supreme Court Justice David Souter has announced he will retire at the end of the current term.
The biggest mistake John Sununu ever made was vouching that Souter would be a “home run” for conservatives.
Now, we’ll get an out liberal as opposed to a stealth one.
Is it Harold Koh’s lucky day?
Gah.

Yep, the Democrat Michigan governor is on a short-list of possible replacements for ailing Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Wait until she does to the law what she did to the Michigan economy.
Yikes.

“Off the top of my head, no.”

You decide.

Open-borders majority.

Eminent domain imminent? Try a yes on 98. PLUS: Eminent domain v. illegal aliens–which do conservatives support?

Order in the court.

Victory.

Clarence Thomas speaks.

Update: The Left gloats.

Dems play the “dupe” card. Plus: A Bobby Byrd flashback and a reminder of the SCOTUS hearing circus.

Summer of speculation.

If any of you followed my work at the Seattle Times, you know how closely I covered the battle against government racial preferences in Washington state. You may remember that Washington passed Initiative 200 to ban government racial preferences in public hiring and education. Despite massive establishment opposition (led by my then-publisher), the measure was [...]

Decisions, decisions, decisions: Builders prevail in endangered species lawsuit; Bush wins on faith-based initiatives; Bongs Hit 4 Jesus kid loses; political speech wins, McCain-Feingold weakened…