In a few hours, at 10 a.m., the confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor (2d Cir.) to be an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court will get underway. We will be liveblogging today’s proceedings (as will others — e.g., Clerquette of Underneath Their Robes).
Although polling suggests the nation is closely divided (or perhaps largely undecided) on whether Judge Sotomayor should be confirmed to SCOTUS, most analysts expect easy confirmation. E.g., Dahlia Lithwick; Adam Liptak.
But you never know; there could be some surprises. One small glimmer of hope for lovers of political theater: Judge Sotomayor is taking pain medication for her broken ankle. Might the meds make her a little loopy?
Some of the most compelling confirmation hearings ever, those of Robert Bork, owe their dramatic nature to the fact that the chain-smoking Judge Bork wasn’t allowed cigarette breaks — which made him irascible under questioning from the senators. Bork performed poorly, and his nomination was defeated by a 58 to 42. (Of course, it didn’t help that Bork refused to participate in so-called “murder boards,” i.e., practice hearings — a mistake that Judge Sotomayor, who has been preparing diligently for over a week, has not made.)
Check back here around 10 a.m., when the hearings and our coverage get underway!
Update: Our liveblogging is underway. See here.
Confirmation in 60 Seconds [Slate]
Path to Supreme Court: Speak Capably, Say Little [New York Times]
Nominee Wraps Up Rehearsals [New York Times]
CNN Poll: Do Americans want Sotomayor confirmed? [CNN]
Poll: Most Undecided About Sotomayor [CBS News]