After 2 Days, Sotomayor Still Standing

We don’t know precisely where she stands on terror law issues, or abortion and gun rights, or even on business topics. But her lower court records shows a much more practical moderate tone than did the records of Roberts and Alito so that’s a good place to start with any prediction of how she’ll be as a Justice.

She took their best shots and at the end of two days was left standing, or left sitting anyway, leaving many of the senators of both parties frustrated with her failure or refusal to answer substantively on legitimate questions. But we learned from Roberts and Alito and Ginsburg and Breyer that that’s the pass to confirmation.

Although the senators asked her questions in a dozen different ways on dozens of different topics, she didn’t say much differently Wednesday than she did Tuesday. She was very very patient in saying the same things over and over again and that no doubt helps her candidacy—it’s more or less expected.

She wouldn’t commit to narrowing abortion rights or expanding gun rights; she wouldn’t even commit to the idea that the Court ought to hear more cases than it does. And all she said about cameras in the Supreme Court is that she would pass along her positive experiences to her potential new colleagues.

Unless something changes dramatically in the political dynamic at work here, I think she’s going to get around 70 votes, at least, in the full Senate and perhaps 15 votes from the Committee. Based upon their comments, it’s conceivable she could pick up the votes of Hatch, Graham, and Grassley, who says he’s never voted against a Supreme Court nominee.

Story: Sotomayor Dodges Abortion Questions

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(CBS)

Andrew Cohen is CBS News Chief Legal Analyst and Legal Editor.. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here.