FILE - In this June 3, 2009 file photo, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is escorted by security officials, walks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Republicans are floundering in their efforts to trip up Sotomayor, unable to find an effective message about why she's not fit to be a justice with just one week to go before hearings on her confirmation. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP – Conservatives stepped up their criticism of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on Tuesday, but it was unclear how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to create bumps in what appears to be a smooth road to confirmation for President Barack Obama’s first high-court choice.