Judge Sonia Sotomayor would almost certainly be confirmed even without any Republican votes in her favor. But it seems she'll have at least one anyway: On Friday morning, Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar became the first Republican to announce that he'll vote for her.
"Judge Sotomayor is clearly qualified to serve on the Supreme Court and she has demonstrated a judicial temperament during her week-long nomination hearing,” Lugar said in a statement.
There's still the question of how many Republicans will end up voting for Sotomayor, but the fact that Lugar's announced this already seems to indicate he won't be the only one. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., had some tough questions for the nominee but hinted he might vote for her anyway, and there are some moderates, like Maine's Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, who are likely candidates for additional votes.
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