Senate Confirmation: What's the Point?

Judge Sonia Sotomayor appears likely to be confirmed as the first Hispanic on the US Supreme Court. Republican Senators say they won't try to stop her. What did they learn from three days of pointed questions? What did they tell American voters about their own aims and objectives? Also, new bombings target foreigners in Jakarta, and a senior religious leader supports political protest as tens of thousands demonstrate on the streets of Tehran.

Banner image: Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor (L) greets Republican Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina (C) and Jon Kyl of Arizona on the fourth day of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images