I know it’s starting to sound like the 24-hour Sotomayor News Channel around here, but we promise we’ll be done with it soon. Here’s at least one note before our heads explode with all the Sonia updates: 3 Republican senators have pledged they will vote for her confirmation. Might Sotomayor be paving an easy street to confirmation? Can we get excited yet? The Miami Herald reports:

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor picked up her first Republican Senate backers Friday – Sens. Mel Martinez of Florida, Richard Lugar of Indiana and Olympia Snowe of Maine – virtually assuring her of an overwhelming confirmation vote.

Democrats control 60 Senate votes, and some other Republicans could join them when the Senate votes, probably in early August.

In the clip above, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham asks Sotomayor about her “temperament”. Another “hot-blooded Latina” stereotype? Maybe, but The Miami Herald and other sources are saying that Graham is strongly leaning towards voting for her.

I’m actually really surprised that Mel Martinez is voting for her confirmation. I mean, just look at his positions on common hot button topics. I guess this might be taken as further testimony to the fact that Sotomayor is no “activist liberal judge”. But some (perhaps Fox News?) will undoubtedly whine that it’s about Latino favoritism. Like Mel Martinez and Sonia Sotomayor have anything in common aside from a Spanish surname.

What do you think? Is Sotomayor out of the woods yet?

After the jump, some fun and lightheartedness with regard to how literally Sotomayor’s soundbite about being a “wise Latina” has been taken…and what she’s still up against.

Via / Miami Herald