Kohl calls July hearings on Sotomayor fair

Sen. Herb Kohl said he believes the July 13 date Dems have selected to begin confirmation hearings on the appointment of Judge Sonia Sotomayor is appropriate and that his side has provide a "reasonable accommodation" for Republicans.

GOP senators have complained Dems are trying to rush the nomination process to meet what they say is President Obama's arbitrary deadline of having her seated before the court's August recess. Republicans had pushed for hearings in September.

Kohl, a member of the Judiciary Committee that will hold hearings on the nomination, said he believed Republicans wanted to push off the hearings in the hopes that they could find something to pin on her.

"They're entitled to exercise whatever rights they have to try and slow it down, but we think we're being fair," said Kohl, who serves on the committee along with fellow Dem Sen. Russ Feingold of Middleton.

Kohl said he didn't want to pre-judge her nomination before the hearings, but he called Sotomayor "very impressive" and said he hoped she would be confirmed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority.

Listen to the short interview.

-- By JR Ross