Senate Judiciary Committee to Vote on Alito Confirmation Today

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, charged with evaluating nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court, will vote today on whether to send Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Senate floor for a final confirmation vote. Although Alito's nomination has drawn strong opposition from environmentalists and other interest groups concerned with a variety of social and domestic issues, a slight majority of Americans supports his confirmation. Kathy Gill, About guide to U.S. Politics and Current Events reports on how the Committee is likely to vote, editorial response to Alito's nomination, and a shift in public opinion about how Supreme Court candidates should be evaluated.