Two More Nos for Sotomayor

Two more senators, John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), said Friday they'll vote to oppose Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court.

Both Cornyn and Hatch sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where each quizzed the judge last week on her views of abortion and the Second Amendment, and on her past statement that she would hope a "wise Latina" would make better judgments than a white man.

In his speech on the Senate floor, Cornyn said Friday that although Sotomayor had performed well during the nomination hearings, she had expressed "very radical ideas" about the role of a judge in past speeches. "In the end," Cornyn said, "I found myself asking if the real Sonia Sotomayor would please stand up." As an aside, Cornyn also mentioned that he had wanted Miguel Estrada to be the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court, but that the Democrats had made that impossible by filibustering his nomination to the Court of Appeals years ago.

Hatch issued a more ambivalent statement. "Arriving at a final decision was particularly difficult because I like and highly respect Judge Sotomayor and, in general, give a great deal of deference to any president's nominee," Hatch said. "Although Judge Sotomayor has a compelling life story and dedication to public service, her statements and record were too much at odds with the principles about the judiciary in which I deeply believe."

For those keeping count, three Judiciary Committee Republicans -- Cornyn, Hatch and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) -- have announced they'll oppose Sotomayor. With large Hispanic populations in their home states, Kyl and Cornyn had been thought to be possible yes votes for the judge when the confirmation process began, but their opposition became clear as the hearings progressed.

Several Republicans, including Richard Lugar of Indiana, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Susan Collins of Maine, Mel Martinez of Florida, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have said they will vote for her. As of Friday, Graham is the only Republican on the Judiciary Committee to announce he'll vote yes on Tuesday. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) have not said how they'll vote.

Sotomayor's nomination is expected to pass easily through the committee and the full Senate before the Senate's August recess.