As I mentioned in a comment on Centrist Pundits, the Senate vote on Sonia Sotomayor is a relatively harmless vote for Conservative Senators because:

1. The ideological balance on the Supreme Court still favors Conservatives 5 to 4.
2. For Conservative Senators who have large Hispanic voting blocks in their states, they lose nothing by voting for her.
3. For Conservative Senators who do not have large Hispanic voting blocks in their states, they lose nothing by voting against her.

It’s a Win/Win. My prediction: Judge Sotomayor will get between 75 and 80 votes in favor of her confirmation.