1115.org

The summer break has cooled the temperature a bit on the John Roberts nomination, a temporary respite to be sure. It’s hard to say where the chips are going to fall, but as Senators spend time in their home states, hints are filtering out:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., indicated in a speech to two lawyers’ groups in Los Angeles that she will measure Roberts against the record of retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, whom he would replace.
[…]
“As the only woman on the committee, I have an additional role to play: representing the views and concerns of 145 million American women during this hearing process,” Feinstein said. “It is my hope that Judge Roberts would play a role similar to Justice O’Connor’s … and bring with him a voice defined by temperance and open-mindedness.”
[…]
“It would be very difficult for me to vote to confirm someone to the Supreme Court whom I knew would overturn Roe and return our country to the days of the 1950s,” Feinstein said.

After going weak on just about everything so far this year, it’s encouraging to hear Feinstein at least appearing to lay down a marker. Still, I have crisp $100 bill that says she’ll vote to confirm Roberts…