Charles Dharapak / AP Photo
Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation to the Supreme Court seems to be all but guaranteed as key Republican senators are breaking with Senate leadership to voice their support. After a solid performance in confirmation hearings, Republican Senators Richard Lugar, Olympia Snowe, and Mel Martinez said they planned on voting for her. “Judge Sotomayor is knowledgeable of the law, would be a fair and impartial judge and seems to have a good understanding of the limited role the judiciary plays in our democracy,” Martinez told the New York Times. While the news means that a Republican filibuster is now impossible without Democratic defections, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to vote against her confirmation. “Judge Sotomayor’s record of written statements suggest an alarming lack of respect for the notion of equal justice, and, therefore, in my view, an insufficient willingness to abide by the judicial oath,” McConnell said in prepared remarks he is expected to deliver Monday in the Senate.