68-31, with just nine Republicans voting yes. The era of voting based on qualifications is now well and truly dead, having fallen into a coma a few years ago when The One decided he couldn’t vote for Roberts and Alito because they didn’t have big enough hearts or something. The GOP’s going to play his game from now on. Oh well.

All but one of 60 Dems voted for Sotomayor; Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) missed the vote. Ailing Sens. Robert Byrd (D-WV) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) appeared on the floor in wheelchairs to vote yes.

Nine GOPers voted for her: Sens. Lamar Alexander (TN), Kit Bond (MO), Susan Collins (ME), Lindsey Graham (SC), Judd Gregg (NH), Dick Lugar (IN), Mel Martínez (FL), Olympia Snowe (ME) and George Voinovich (OH).

The official swearing in is on Saturday. I don’t know what’s left to say at this point after weeks of blather, except maybe that there’s a fair chance of a bona fide Chris Matthews racial leg thrill this afternoon on “Hardball.” He had one just yesterday, in fact, in response to Clinton bringing home those two journalists from North Korea. Can he muster another today or does he need more, er, “recovery time”?

Update: Just to make it a little more painful for conservatives, Stuart Smalley did the honors.