Biden says filibuster on Alito unlikely

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Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. said yesterday that he expects an up-or-down vote by the full Senate on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr., without the parliamentary blockades that Democrats used against 10 of President Bush's appellate court nominees.

The Delaware senator and longtime Senate Judiciary Committee member becomes the latest Democrat to indicate that a filibuster of the judge's nomination is unlikely, although he spoke even as one of the nation's leading liberal groups began its air war against Judge Alito.

Asked whether Democrats would commit to the up-or-down vote, Mr. Biden said on ABC's "This Week": "Well, my instinct is we should commit."

He cautioned that nothing could be certain "until the bulk of us" Democrats have met Judge Alito, "but I think the probability is that [a vote] will happen."

Mr. Biden, whose state is in the 3rd U.S. Circuit, where Judge Alito has served for 15 years, said he doesn't know whether he will support the nominee, although he added that while Judge Alito is conservative, he has heard mainly good things about the judge.

But People for the American Way doesn't need more information to oppose Judge Alito. The liberal group had long ago studied Judge Alito's record and denounced him the day he was nominated.

Yesterday, the group began airing its first ad on the nomination, which debuted during NBC's "Meet the Press."

But instead of attacking Judge Alito directly, it focuses on the failed nomination of White House counsel Harriet Miers, who was withdrawn because of dissatisfaction by conservatives.

"George Bush's presidency is in trouble, and he'll do anything to save it, even giving the radical right wing the power to choose who sits on the Supreme Court," the announcer says.

"First, the right wing vetoed Harriet Miers to replace Sandra Day O'Connor," the voice continues. "Now Bush has named their hand-picked candidate, Samuel Alito, threatening rights and freedoms that Justice O'Connor protected."