Grass-roots conservatives, your attention, please: The NRCC and GOP dumped $1 million of your hard-earned money into radical Leftist Republican Dede Scozzafava's NY-23's campaign -- money that was squandered trashing mainstream conservative candidate Doug Hoffman, who lost the race by less than 3,400 votes. Now, the GOP elite Senate candidate in California, Carly Fiorina, is... Read More

As expected, via Hotline On Call: Full confirmation next.

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions came out against the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor in USA Today. The Senate Judiciary Committee votes tomorrow. In contrast to Lindsay Graham, Sessions finds nothing "bold" or "edgy" about Sotomayor's judicial activism. A clear-eyed assessment: Awaiting cries of racism in 3, 2, 1...

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... Read More

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... Read More

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.... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

President Obama applauds the decision as a victory for equality under the law. Not. Just in... SCOTUS Blog background here. More background here and here. Tom Goldstein: "Ricci result: Kennedy finds a violation of Title VII. An outright reversal 5-4...the plaintiff firefighters won. New Haven violated the law by throwing out the test." Sotomayor =... Read More

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... Read More