Sen. Sam Brownback became at least the third Republican to announce he will vote against Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court.

"Judge Sotomayor has indicated through past rulings and in her writings that she believes the judiciary should take an activist role and make laws, instead of upholding the law," he said in a speech Wednesday on the Senate floor. "As Chief Justice [John G.] Roberts said, a justice should be an impartial umpire, not a player in the game. I am afraid Judge Sotomayor wants to be more of a player than an umpire."

Brownback, who is not running for a third term and is preparing to run for governor back home in Kansas, was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee until this year.

The Supreme Court today sidestepped a ruling on whether a 2006 congressional reauthorization of a major section of the Voting Rights Act was constitutional. Instead, the court ruled narrowly that the Texas utility district that brought the case is eligible to "bail out" of the section's requirements, as provided for under the law.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the opinion for an eight-justice majority. Justice Clarence Thomas filed a 19-page dissent that ran longer than Roberts' 17-page opinion.

"Whether conditions continue to justify such legislation is a difficult constitutional question we do not answer today," Roberts wrote. "We conclude instead that the Voting Rights Act permits all political subdivisions, including the district in this case, to seek relief from its preclearance requirements."

You can judge for yourself how well Republicans are sticking to the party's script. Below is a copy of the Republican National Committee's talking points on Sonia Sotomayor's nomination obtained by our CQ colleague Jonathan Allen.

Talking Points: SCOTUS Nominee Sonia Sotomayor

May 26, 2009

• President Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court is an important decision that will have an impact on the United States long after his administration.

• Republicans are committed to a fair confirmation process and will reserve judgment until more is known about Judge Sotomayor's legal views, judicial record and qualifications.