Senate Democrats appear to be giving serious consideration to GOP demands to delay Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation vote until after the August recess in the hope that doing so will prevent Republicans from escalating the fight.

"I don't want anyone subjecting this good woman to criticism because of some arbitrary deadline I set," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said today at a news conference.

While key Democrats including Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Majority Whip Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and President Obama have said they want a confirmation vote before Aug. 7, Reid has not echoed those calls.

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