Should the nomination play out like this, it would foreshadow a dramatic power shift within the Republicans party:

"Unless there's something that comes out that's very much out of the ordinary, this is likely to be a smooth confirmation if Republicans are smart politically," said John Ullyot, a Republican strategist who served seven years as a senior Senate staffer.
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"Politically, it's better to conserve our powder and live to fight another day and not pick a fight that a) we know we can't win, because we don't have the votes and b) could really hurt us politically," Ullyot told AFP.

Unfortunately, Ullyot staffed Arlen Specter and John Warner, one a former Republican, the other a former Senator, both part of the G14. It's unlikely that he'll influence right wing legal activists, who have clear incentives: "By ginning up controversy where none exists, these activists get free press and free money and a micro-movement with which to corral fellow travelers into common cause."

And in turn, every victory for the GOP base is a black mark for the GOP brand. Robert Lovato summed up the predicament over at FDL:

So it will be the GOP and not Sotomayor that will be on trial in this high-stakes judicial confirmation of the post-Bush era of Republican dominance. Latinos will watch to see if GOP leaders will use the Sotomayor hearings to distance themselves from Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and others many Latinos consider to be anti-immigrant extremists.

And we should all be watching to see if Republicans are prepared to use the Sotomayor confirmation as a way to communicate a willingness to redeem themselves for the great injustices of our recent past.

Full transcript:

Sen. John Warner, (R-Va.), Chairman, Armed Services Committee:

"The problem as I see it right now is that we put our whole case, resting our case, on the ability to bring in the Iraqi people and train them in police, national guard, army duties and security forces. And there we're doing an all-out battle. We visited, Senator--I mean--excuse me. Senator Levin and I, Petraeus, saw his team being put together. But, Tim, the raw material is lacking in the willpower and commitment after they receive this training to really shoulder the heavy responsibilities."

This is one of the fundamental problems with the Iraq occupation. If the Iraq people are too scared to secure their own country, then how is it possible to ever have our troops withdraw? The security needed to protect the election process is tenous at best even if it does go off as planned. The administration has not been able to train Iraqi's adequately enough:

Sen. Joe Biden, (D-Del.), Ranking Member, Foreign Relations Committee:

"The training program--I came back with Lindsey Graham, appeared on your show about eight months ago, and said it was a joke. There was no training program."

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The insurgency, which are primarily Iraqi's themselves, seems to have struck enough fear into the general population to make sure that they will not police their own country. It's just another failing of Rumsfeld. Should he be fired? Of course not. It seems it's better to stick with a losing hand than go in a different direction.

Senator Levin:

"If I thought a change at the top of the Pentagon would change the policy of this administration, I'd be all for it."

Senator Warner:

"We're at war. And you're right, Dick, we should not at this point in time entertain any idea of changing those responsibilities in the Pentagon."

Senator Lugar:

"He should be held accountable, and he should stay in office."