WASHINGTON — The Senate yesterday confirmed Alberto Gonzales as the first Hispanic attorney general, ending a bitter, three-day debate that focused on his controversial role in pushing the legal limits on the treatment of prisoners.

The Senate voted 60-36 to confirm Gonzales, President Bush's longtime friend and White House counsel, to succeed John Ashcroft as attorney general. Vice President Dick Cheney swore Gonzales in shortly before 6 p.m. at the White House.

Washington state's Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell were among 35 Democrats and one independent who opposed Gonzales, exceeding the 13 who opposed Condoleezza Rice for secretary of state. Ashcroft was opposed by 42 Democrats four years ago.

Six Democrats — Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Ken Salazar of Colorado, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Bill Nelson of Florida, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas — voted for Gonzales, and he had the unanimous support of Republicans.

Republican leaders called Gonzales, 49, a highly qualified nominee who renounced torture and became an unfair target of Democrats who oppose Bush's policies.

"He is a total professional with a high regard for the law, and he has been subjected to groundless criticism," Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said before the vote.

Democrats said Gonzales made serious mistakes that led to abuse of prisoners at U.S.-run detention facilities in Afghanistan, Cuba and Iraq. They also said he evaded questions during his confirmation hearing and lacked the independence to disagree with the president.

"It's hard to be a straight shooter when you're a blind loyalist," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

Democrats criticized Gonzales for key legal advice he gave to Bush, including scaling back Geneva Convention protections for detainees, deciding that some anti-torture laws don't apply to foreigners held overseas, and asserting that a president can override U.S. laws and authorize torture in "unusual circumstances."

They noted that the Supreme Court had ruled against Gonzales' recommendations on holding U.S. citizens as enemy combatants without access to lawyers and declaring that the prison camp at the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, was outside the reach of U.S. courts.

Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., who voted against Gonzales, reminded colleagues that he voted for Ashcroft and Rice, despite major differences. "But John Ashcroft said he was unequivocal in enforcing laws he disagreed with, while Alberto Gonzales is saying that the president can be above the law," Feingold said.

The votes of Murray and Cantwell were provided by The Associated Press.