So I've got a lot of feelings about this.
First, Sotomayor is taking an extreme slippery slope argument and presenting it as factual. There are many other issues with her words anyway, but at the very least it's just horror fiction.
Second, pundits and political shows have been saying for at least six months that this is exactly the result they expect from the court, so I don't know why anyone is surprised at this point. It's disappointing, but not remotely surprising.
Third, we've had de facto immunity for political leaders for decades. I sincerely hope this puts the problem front and center and we are able to fight it and return the "No man is above the law" concept to reality.
Fourth, I guess.
For those that say "This is settled law now!>!>!>!>" remember that the Supreme Court changes things all the time. 20 years is pretty common, 50 can overturn easily enough, in the last decade there have been precidents over 130 years old overturned, so it's not like something the Supreme Court of the United States says is suddenly never ever under any circumstances going to change again. Also, just as an aside, I'm less worried about this election than I have been pretty much my entire adult life.
Both candidates are so strongly hated, and both candidates are so likely to do poorly that it almost doesn't matter who wins, they'll both be lame ducks and neither will be able to get anything done.
I'll start to worry again when the partisanship slows down and one extremist group starts to overpower everyone other one.