Battle for Supreme Court justice to begin in Congress (AFP)

[Yahoo! News]

AFP - Judge Sonia Sotomayor's US Supreme Court confirmation battle opens with her first public grilling by the Senate, which is expected to anoint her as the bench's first Hispanic justice.

The Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on the historic nomination opens at 10:00 am (1400 GMT), with lawmakers, Sotomayor, and 31 invited witnesses expected to speak on whether she should win the lifetime appointment.

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If confirmed, the 55-year-old appeals court judge would replace retiring Justice David Souter on the nine-member court that is the final arbiter of the US Constitution and often confronts volatile political and social issues, including gun control and abortion.

Over at least four days of hearings, the panel will hear from people like former FBI director Louis Freeh, who mentored Sotomayor, and Linda Chavez, a conservative activist.

President Barack Obama, who nominated Sotomayor for the key post, telephoned her on Sunday to wish her good luck and congratulated her for having met with 89 senators ahead of the hearings.

"The president expressed his confidence that Judge Sotomayor would be confirmed to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court for many years to come," a White House statement said.

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Sen. Jeff Sessions on why he feels Sotomayor should not be confirmed as Supreme Court justice