Liveblogging the Sonia Sotomayor Confirmation Vote
Update: Sotomayor Confirmed, 68-31
The U.S. Senate is now voting on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor (2d Cir.) to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Senator Al Franken presiding. It’s interesting and weird to see him in this role. Are we watching an SNL skit?
The normally empty Senate chamber is full. The senators are sitting at attention, looking like dutiful students.
The clerk is calling the roll. She refers to Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) as “Mrs. Boxer,” and she does the same for several other married female senators (e.g., “Mrs. Gillibrand,” “Mrs. Hutchison,” etc.). It’s kinda cool, in an old-school sort of way.
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) doesn’t vote — he’s absent from the Senate, due to illness — but he has expressed his support for Judge Sotomayor.
Senator Franken asks if any senator who has not already voted wishes to vote, or if any senator who has voted wishes to change her vote. Going once, going twice….
FINAL VOTE TALLY: 68-31, in favor of the nomination. Nine Republicans joined 59 Democrats to vote in favor of confirmation.
CONGRATULATIONS, JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR!!!
P.S. Okay, she’s not technically a justice yet — but she will be soon, once Chief Justice Roberts administers the oath of office. Hopefully JGR will do it better this time.
Update: Clerquette has more discussion over at Underneath Their Robes.



Arlen Specter 

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* How to try and pull a fast one on the entire NBA. [
Thanks for the
See
1. New Novel. The eagerly anticipated
2. New Nominee. After
We’ve been doing a lot of Biglaw coverage lately. But since Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is being raked over the coals as we type, in an appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, let’s take a timely detour into the U.S. Department of Justice.





