How Did Supreme Court Confirmation Battles Become So Contentious?

With a filibuster-proof 60 Democratic seats in the Senate, Judge Sonia Sotomayor has nothing to worry about. Unless the senators discover something completely unexpected and horrifying about her past, she will be the next Supreme Court justice. And yet she still faces heated opposition and rhetoric from the Republican minority.

How did Supreme Court confirmation battles become so contentious? And why do some nominees face loads of opposition while others sail through? TRNS Legal Affairs Correspondent Matthew S. Schwartz interviews various Supreme Court experts to try to figure out how things got quite so heated.

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SCOTUSblog Founder Tom Goldstein Discusses "Poisonous" Atmosphere of Court Nominations

Supreme Court nominations have become increasingly contentious in recent years. It seems that no matter how qualified a nominee is, he or she is going to face a passionate confirmation battle. Supreme Court expert Tom Goldstein joins TRNS Legal Affairs Correspondent Matthew S. Schwartz to discuss what he calls the "poisonous" atmosphere of Court nominations. Goldstein, a partner with Akin Gump, is a Supreme Court litigator, lecturer at Harvard and Stanford law schools, and founder of SCOTUSblog, a popular Web site focused on Supreme Court issues.

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