Early Word: Nobody Rocks The Nominee’s Boat

By Janie Lorber, NY Times

Judge Sonia Sotomayor has made no significant blunders in her first three days before the Judiciary Committee and confirmation in a Senate dominated by Democrats is all but certain. Lawmakers, however, are using process to establish parameters of an acceptable nominee in case President Obama has the chance to appoint another, write The Times’s Charlie Savage and Peter Baker.

By forcing Judge Sotomayor to retreat from Mr. Obama’s desire for justices with “empathy,” Republicans have effectively set a new standard that future nominees will be pressed to meet. The Republicans hope their aggressive questioning of Judge Sotomayor on race discrimination, gun control and the death penalty will make it harder for Mr. Obama to choose a more outspoken liberal in the future. (full story)