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Slate's Dialogue on the Sotomayor Hearings

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Posted Monday, July 13, 2009, at 12:11 PM ET

To: John Dickerson and Dahlia Lithwick

See Slate's complete coverage of Sonia Sotomayor.

NEXT 10 »

9: News Flash: A Thoughtful Question!
From: Emily Bazelon
8: Older and Wiser but Not Necessarily Better
From: John Dickerson
7: Sotomayor Plays It Safe, Part II
From: Dahlia Lithwick
6: Sotomayor Plays It Safe
From: Emily Bazelon
5: It Was Short, but Was It Wise?
From: Emily Bazelon
4: It's Almost Her Turn
From: Emily Bazelon
3: Pride, Love, and Confirmation
From: Dahlia Lithwick
2: Straight From the Playbooks
From: John Dickerson
1: Senators: It's All About Us
From: John Dickerson and Dahlia Lithwick

Sonia Sotomayor

Dahlia and John,

Are you watching the hearings and wondering whether they are about Sonia Sotomayor or about a bunch of senators who can't get over the thrill of gavel-to-gavel TV coverage? That said, this long morning of opening statements has been somewhat revealing so far. The Republicans are coming out swinging—and not just Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. Lindsey Graham just hit a nail that will be pounded repeatedly this week when he referred to Sotomayor's comment about wise Latina judges making better rulings. "If I'd said anything like that, my career would be over," Graham told her. It is Sotomayor's job to nod and smile just a bit for when the camera pans to her. She'll get her chance to reframe the discussion, and introduce herself, this afternoon.

So far, does the senators' display of aggressive stances, pro and con, surprise you? Is it clear from this morning's opening what the main battleground and tone of the hearings will be?

Emily

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