Sessions vows third GOP vote against Sotomayor

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jeff Sessions, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, says he will vote against Judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation to the Supreme Court in the committee vote scheduled for Tuesday.

In a column published in today's USA TODAY, the Alabama senator questioned whether Sotomayor would follow through as a justice on her pledge in confirmation hearings to show "fidelity to the law."

"I don't believe that Judge Sotomayor has the deep-rooted convictions necessary to resist the siren call of judicial activism," Sessions wrote. "She has evoked its mantra too often." Saying her testimony and record were at odds, he asked: "Which Sotomayor will we get?"

Sessions' decision, while not a surprise, is one more sign that Republicans are likely to muster significant opposition to Sotomayor, although her confirmation is not in doubt. On Friday, two other senior Republicans — Texas Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the GOP's Senate campaign committee, and Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch— announced they would vote "no."

Republican senators who have said they will vote for her include South Carolina's Lindsey Graham.