Mark Your Calendars....Leahy Sets Sotomayor Hearing Date. Republicans Not Happy

It's on...July 13th.

In setting the mid-summer hearing, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is bargaining the Senate can approve the first Hispanic high court justice by early August, when Congress takes its summer recess.

"This is a schedule that I think is both fair and adequate - fair to the nominee and adequate for us to prepare for the hearing and Senate consideration," Leahy said. "There is no reason to indulge in needless and unreasonable delay. This is an historic nomination."

Leahy had engaged in long discussions with the top GOP foil on the panel, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, about the start date.

.."Given the attacks on her character, there are compelling reasons to proceed even ahead of this schedule.

She deserves the earliest opportunity to respond to those attacks," Leahy said.

This apparently comes as a surprise to the ranking Republican member of the committee.

At the very least, Leahy’s decision irked Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who complained that Leahy did not talk to him about the scheduling before announcing the July 13 date.

"I'm really a bit surprised," Sessions said. "I don't think our side has the time to do this right. ... That's a rushed time frame, and I don't think that's necessary. I have serious doubts about [the time frame], but we're going to be working on it."

Bi-partisanship mania! We won, the Democrats explained.

posted by DrewM. at 03:23 PM

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