US News

DON’T EXPECT MUCH OF A FIGHT FROM GOP

WASHINGTON — Republicans are not likely to mount a filibuster to derail the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, the top Senate Judiciary Committee GOPer said yesterday.

“I don’t sense a filibuster in the works,” Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said.

With such extraordinary options appearing to be off the table, Sotomayor is all but certain to be confirmed after this summer’s hearings.

Still, Republicans are not thrilled with the Bronx native.

“The nominee has serious problems,” said Sessions, noting that the “empathy” Democrats praise in her should have no bearing on the interpretation of laws.

“A judge must submit themselves to the law and be faithful to the law and serve under the law,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg rushed to Sotomayor’s defense yesterday after Republicans — including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich — laced into her as a racist for saying that a Latina woman’s life experience makes her a better judge than the experiences of a white man.

“Some things Newt says never make any sense to me,” Bloomberg said.