A couple of items on the Sotomayor front; first, Sen. Patrick Leahy has announced that the confirmation hearings for Sotomayor will begin on July 13th:
"This is a responsible schedule that serves the many interests involved: the American people's stake in a process that is fair and thorough but not needlessly prolonged," Leahy said on the Senate floor.
Of course Republicans are grumbling:
"I'm really a bit surprised," Sessions said. "I don't think our side has the time to do this right. ... That's a rushed time frame, and I don't think that's necessary. I have serious doubts about [the time frame], but we're going to be working on it."
"I think it's a mistake to set artificial deadlines, but I think we'll be prepared for hearings on the 13th," adds Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
... but after polling showed that only 8% of the public was buying into the attacks against Sotomayor, perhaps they're thinking twice about pointless delaying tactics.
And on another front, this will really torque the so-called law-and-order crowd; according to a White House press release:
... representatives from eight national law enforcement organizations ... announced their support for and endorsement of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court.
The organizations were the: Major Cities Chiefs Association, Police Executive Research Forum, National Sheriff's Association, National Association of Police Organizations, National Latino Peace Officers Association, Fraternal Order of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and the National Association of District Attorneys.