Inside the hearing room: What you can't see

The crossover: GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch crossed over to the Democratic side! Just to talk to Sen. Kaufman, though. He also got a quick back-slap and a couple of words with Sen. Al Franken as Franken headed out of the room.
 
Talking points: The Judiciary Committee's Democratic aides are passing out paperwork to reporters refuting Sen. Sessions' questions of whether Sotomayor would be fair on the court. It quotes the Congressional Research Service and Supreme Court expert Tom Goldstein.
 
What is Sotomayor writing? We'd guess she's writing down the senator's questions so she won't forget their point when it's time for her to answer. But she looks at her notebook sparingly, mostly keeping the palms of her hands on it as she ad libs, looking right back at the senators.
 
Senator crib notes: The Senators are using notes more heavily. They also have paper in front of them, with questions prepared by their staffs. The senators' paper is not visible because there's a short rise in front of them. But watch them looking down often as they ask questions.
 
Gulp: Senators can wear out their voices with long questioning and drink plenty of water that is placed in front of them by staff. Sotomayor finished one answer too quickly for Sen. Herb Kohl. He had just started to pick up his water glass, and had to quickly gulp it down to ask the next question.
 
Paging security: You can't see them on television, but the back wall is filled with Capitol police and Senate aides. We count five uniformed Capitol police officers in sight, with more waiting outside in case someone wants to interrupt the hearing like protesters did yesterday.
 
Any questions on what's going on inside the hearing room? @reply your questions to @AP_Courtside on Twitter.

-Jesse J. Holland, AP reporter, Supreme Court, and Larry Margasak, AP reporter, Congress