NRA-Endorsed Republicans for Sotomayor

The Brady Campaign, the anti-gun group that had experienced a rather tough run during the Bush administration, is pointing out that three Republican senators who were endorsed by the National Rifle Association in their last campaigns have committed to supporting Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) have all come out for Sotomayor, as has Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), who ran for re-election in 2004 as a Republican.

I’m told by Sotomayor opponents that the NRA’s decision to “score” the Sotomayor vote will be responsible for “no” votes from several Republicans, such as the two senators from Utah. And they’re optimistic that a Democratic senator, possibly Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) or Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), will be cowed into opposing the president because of the NRA’s pressure.