Senate Confirms Sonia Sotomayor

The Senate voted 68-31 to confirm Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court on Thursday, making her the first Hispanic and third woman to serve on the nation's highest court. No Democrats voted against Sotomayor, while nine Republicans crossed party lines to vote in the judge's favor. The moment will likely be pointed to as a watershed for Puerto Ricans in the United States, as Sotomayor's story reflects a Horatio Alger-esque rise from the Bronx to the top of the legal world. Throughout the confirmation process, there was little doubt that Sotomayor would make the cut, though Republicans went to great lengths to highlight her controversial "wise Latina" comments and her affiliation with Hispanic advocacy groups. Just this week, Senator John McCain announced he would be voting against her, though Senator George Voinovich, another Republican, announced Thursday that he would be voting for her, virtually assuring her confirmation. The Senate's newest member and a vocal Sotomayor supporter, Al Franken, presided over Thursday's historic vote.