Top Democrats say Alito likely to get nod

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Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. is within the mainstream of conservative judicial philosophy and should be confirmed barring some unforeseen "bombshell," key Democrats said yesterday.

"I found him to be very impressive. I found him to be a very thoughtful person," Sen. Kent Conrad, North Dakota Democrat, said after meeting with Judge Alito yesterday. "He got off to a very good start with me."

Mr. Conrad said he does not expect to support a filibuster, which is likely the only way to thwart confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate.

"I think it is unlikely, absent some new information -- some bombshell that comes up in the process -- that I would support a filibuster," he said, but added that he has not decided how he will vote on the nomination.

Mr. Conrad, who hails from a heavily Republican state and is among 22 Democrats who supported the nomination of John G. Roberts Jr. to be chief justice, said Judge Alito's apparent conservatism doesn't disqualify him.

"Absolutely, he is conservative, but I believe in the broad mainstream of American jurisprudence," the senator said. "It is healthy to have different views on the court."

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat and a detractor of many of President Bush's judicial nominees, sounded a similarly positive tone after his meeting with Judge Alito yesterday.

Mr. Schumer said the meeting was "very, very enjoyable" and described the nominee as "someone thoroughly schooled in the law, somebody who had thought through a lot of issues."

The senator said it's too early to say for certain whether Judge Alito is in the "broad mainstream of conservative jurisprudence" that Democrats say they want.

"I come out of this meeting with my questions not satisfied but certainly not with the view 'Oh, he's clearly out of the mainstream,'" Mr. Schumer said.