Sotomayor not grilled on abortion position

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor says Obama never asked her about her position on abortion before nominating her, which is rather surprising. Either he's being extremely clever in some way or has genuinely backed off his intense support for abortion which he demonstrated as a senator. Pro-abortion activists must not be happy about this, which would be a good sign. Is this a sign of a kinder, gentler Obama, or merely a sign of his shrewdness in not giving fervent pro-lifers the kind of whipping boy (if that's the right term) that energizes them while permitting the status quo to continue?