From National Journal's June 27 issue:

As Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor prepares for her July confirmation hearings, she clearly enjoys plenty of goodwill in the Senate, where 57 Democrats (plus two independents who caucus with them) are predisposed to support her. Even so, the first day of those hearings will be crucial in shaping public opinion -- and thus in influencing lawmakers.

Because the public really doesn't know Sotomayor, she has the opportunity to talk about her modest upbringing and later successes in a compelling manner that will help win the country's affection, observed Kenneth Duberstein, who was President Ronald Reagan's chief of staff.

"The hearings are fundamental because America really tunes in on that opening day to see whether the person can handle the pressure, and to listen to her personal story and the way she responds to questions," he said. "That is the make-or-break day."

In an interview, Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., who presided over the confirmations of Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito as the Republican chairman of the committee, was even blunter about the hearings. "Oh, they're not too important," he said sarcastically. "The only thing that's at stake is whether she gets on the Supreme Court."

Knowing that full well, Sotomayor is running through "murder boards" -- White House rehearsal sessions to put her through her paces before the hearings start on July 13. It is a repetitive and tedious process, but it has become the best way to prepare nominees for the sharp questioning they can expect from members of the polarized Judiciary Committee.

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