Quick Update

Judge Sonia Sotomayor's hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee start today. In an article about things to watch for during the hearings, POLITICO mentions that the Democrats are going to try to make it as quiet and boring a hearing as possible; Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, the committee's ranking member, has politely vowed to pursue attacks on all fronts-- his performance and its aftermath will determine how much other Republicans push her. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that both sides project an easy confirmation (the Democrats have too big a majority)-- but how easy will depend on how Sotomayor answers the committee's questions over the next couple of days. Either way, both sides will be looking to use the hearings for partisan political gain.