Democrats delaying panel vote on Alito

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats decided Friday to delay for a few days a Judiciary Committee vote set for early next week on the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.

The Democrats asked for more time for debate among themselves, a move that will give Alito's opponents more time to make their case inside and outside Washington. Still, the federal appellate-court judge is expected to win confirmation when the full Senate votes on him.

Democrats have the right to postpone the committee vote — which had been scheduled for Tuesday — for up to a week. But aides to Senate Democrats said the delay would probably be less than that.

The committee on Friday heard testimony from its final witnesses on Alito and adjourned, as interest groups conducted news conferences and stepped up advertising campaigns to support or oppose the nominee.

Liberal activists oppose Alito, fearing he will tip the court to the right and provide a key vote for rulings that, in their view, will endanger personal liberties.

Conservatives support Alito because they believe he will help the court curb — and perhaps overturn — decisions on various social issues, such as the right to an abortion.

Democrats peppered Alito with questions during his three days of testimony before the judiciary panel this week, and several expressed chagrin that the judge refused to say that he accepted as "settled law" the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide. Republican committee members, most of whom oppose abortion rights, praised Alito for his answers on this and other subjects.

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont said Friday he and other Democrats on the committee wanted to delay the vote on sending Alito's nomination to the full Senate so that more party members could discuss the matter.

He said many Democratic senators won't be back in Washington until Wednesday.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who has been under pressure from the White House to complete the confirmation as rapidly as possible, expressed irritation at the postponement.

"I do not know what reason there is for any delay," he said. "I think we know how the vote in committee is going to come out. And we ought to go to the floor and debate it on the floor."

The committee vote is expected to break along party lines, with its 10 Republicans backing Alito and its eight Democrats opposing him.

Specter, a moderate who supports abortion rights, officially announced Friday he would vote for Alito.

A final floor vote had been planned for next Friday. Now, it may occur as much as a week later.

As the vote nears, both sides have intensified campaigns targeted at moderate senators who are regarded as swing votes, such as Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine. Both lawmakers support abortion rights.

It appears the only way Senate Democrats could block Alito's confirmation would be to mount a filibuster. But while some party activists are calling for one, Senate Democratic leaders have shown little enthusiasm for the idea, in part because it could create political problems for party members facing re-election in Republican-leaning states.

"The fact is that a filibuster would put moderate Democrats from 'red' states and others up for re-election in a difficult position," said a senior Democratic aide, who requested anonymity.

In addition, more members of the "Gang of 14," an informal group of moderate Republicans and Democrats who formed earlier this year to oppose filibusters of judicial nominees except under "extraordinary circumstances," indicated Friday they were unlikely to support one in Alito's case.

A spokeswoman for Collins said the lawmaker did not think a filibuster was justified, even though she has yet to say how she would vote on Alito.

Another Gang of 14 member, Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., "does not see any extraordinary circumstances" that would warrant a filibuster, according to a spokeswoman.