US: Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have accused Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito of being vague and inconsistent on abortion, his membership of a conservative group at university and his code of ethics as a judge, writes Denis Staunton, in Washington
Illinois Democrat Richard Durbin told Mr Alito that, although the judge promised to approach abortion cases with an "open mind", his record suggested otherwise, with "a mind that sadly is closed in some instances".
"Many people will leave this hearing with a question as to whether or not you could be the deciding vote that would eliminate the legality of abortion," Mr Durbin said.
Mr Alito described Roe v Wade, the 1973 ruling which gave women throughout the US the right to abortion, as an "important precedent of the Supreme Court", but he declined to echo Chief Justice John Roberts's statement that the ruling was "settled law".
Kansas Republican Sam Brownback told Mr Alito that some Supreme Court decisions were indefensible and invited reconsideration. "Some precedents are undeserving of respect," he said.
Senator Patrick Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said he was concerned at Mr Alito's comments on the principle of one-man, one-vote and at his inability to recall details about his membership of a conservative organisation which opposed the admission of women and minorities at Princeton University.
Mr Alito said he opposed using foreign law as a basis for Supreme Court judgments but he did not endorse a Republican suggestion that justices should be impeached for doing so.