delivered what may have been the shortest opening statement by a modern Supreme Court nominee - less than seven minutes, including the thank-yous and two baseball metaphors.

the most qualified nominee who has ever been put up for a Supreme Court vacancy.

to the broadest extent that the Supreme Court has ... authorized.

We find this Supreme Court nominee unqualified and her record troubling.

[The previous Supreme Court nominees] took a very strict approach. I have taken what I think is a very more pragmatic approach and said, 'If I don't think that's likely to come before the court, I will comment on it,' ... And, again, perhaps that is subject to criticism because it is difficult to draw the line sometimes, but I wanted to be able to share as much as I can with the committee in response to the concerns you and others have expressed, and so I have adopted that approach.

While some of the tales of woe emanating from the court are enough to bring tears to the eyes, it is true that only Supreme Court justices and schoolchildren are expected to and do take the entire summer off.