Republicans talk suicide
Sotomayor is going to be confirmed. There is little doubt about it. So, going into weeks or months of paroxysms and hysterics about alleged “judicial activism” is just going to make the party look bitter, mean, tone deaf, and out of touch.
Republicans have been itching for this fight
...never underestimate the Republicans' capacity for taking big political risks that turn out badly. Remember Sarah Palin? Republicans may figure that they're so badly decimated already, so marginalized and irrelevant, there's little to lose and possibly much to gain by going negative on Sotomayor and unleashing their terror-TV and rant-radio attack dogs. It's also possible that without much remaining of any moderate view inside their own ranks, Republicans may simply lack the wisdom -- dare I call it judiciousness? -- to opt for a more sensible strategy.
I guess the GOP wants to alienate women and hispanics even more than they already have. Suddenly she's a racist for saying a latina woman's life experiences are different than a white male's? If that's all you guy have to bring to the table, bring it. I guess it's better than if your only issues are torture and taxes.