In the fourth day of her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday, Republican lawmakers tried painstakingly to rattle U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, seeking to squeeze from her anything that would reveal that she is the liberal, activist judge they say she is. No such luck. Sotomayor, whom President Obama and Democratic senators have painted as a cool-headed jurist whose long tenure as an appeals court judge proves her commitment to the Constitution, was unflinching. While acknowledging regret for her highly publicized comment that a “wise Latina” trumps a White male’s decision-making skills, Sotomayor vowed loyalty to the law and denied an agenda to create new ones. Most members of the GOP have conceded that her appointment to the high court is virtually unstoppable and have relinquished the notion of a Republican filibuster. Some conservative lawmakers, understanding that there is little reward in bashing the judge – many of them realizing that they risk alienating themselves from Latino voters in the general election – have even praised Sotomayor in recent days. For example, South Carolina’s Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican, who originally noted that the judge’s public comments prior to her nomination “bugs the hell out of me,” said Wednesday, “to be honest with you, your record as a judge has not been radical by any means. … “It is my belief that you are going to be a great Supreme Court justice.” California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has been laudatory of Sotomayor throughout the process, said Thursday, “I think you’re a walking, talking example of the best part of the United States of America.” Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), one of Sotomayor’s champions in the Senate, has said he plans to put her confirmation to a vote as early as next Tuesday.

 The U.S. Senate confirmed Hillary Clinton as secretary of State Wednesday after a one-day delay forced by Republicans, which served as a hint that – despite all the warm and fuzzy moments exchanged between political parties on Tuesday – there’s still plenty of inter-party divisiveness to go around. The vote was 94-2, and spectators seated in the galleries erupted in applause when it was announced. Also confirmed on Wednesday was Treasury nominee Timothy Geithner, who apologized for failing to pay $34,000 in taxes. But things didn’t go so smoothly for Eric Holder, Obama’s choice as the nation’s top prosecutor. Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee extended debate, under Senate rules, to block an immediate vote on Holder’s appointment as U.S. attorney general. So far, seven of Obama’s Cabinet picks have been confirmed.