After nearly a month in the public eye, Sonia Sotomayor isn’t proving nearly as controversial as Republicans had hoped, Politico reports. “She doesn’t have the punch out there in terms of fundraising and recruiting, at least so far," said Republican congressman John Thune. Things could change during the actual hearings—particularly if Sotomayor performs poorly—but for now a tough fight seems unlikely, and politically useless.
Senators tend to avoid politically bruising fights unless they get a strong push from the base, and so far there hasn’t been one. “I don’t think she’s the kind of person that invites that kind of reaction,” said Mel Martinez. “I don’t think her judicial record warrants that.” Republicans are also worried that they’ll be seen as bullying the court’s would-be first Hispanic. (More Senate Republicans stories.)