Democrats pressed a final time for more definitive answers from US Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito today as a third round of questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee neared completion.
Judge Alito said if confirmed he would seek to emulate retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's dedication and dignity, but repeatedly declined to say he would demonstrate the same centrist views.
Judge Alito headed toward anticipated confirmation despite more wrangling with Democrats who fear he will steer the nation's highest court to the right on abortion, civil rights and other social issues.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, said an overnight search of records demanded by Democrats found no mention of Alito in a Princeton University alumni group that had opposed efforts to admit more women and minorities -- an ethical issue some Democrats hammered away at in earlier questioning.
Democrats have been unsuccessful in securing a commitment from Alito that he would vote to uphold the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion -- another major issue since Alito opposed abortion while in the Reagan administration two decades ago.
In addition, Democrats have wrestled with Alito over his view of presidential powers, which they say is overly broad. Alito deflected questions about the legality of the administration's warrantless eavesdropping on Americans but did say no president was above the law.
President George W. Bush nominated Judge Alito, a conservative federal appeals judge, to replace O'Connor, who often has been the swing vote on the nine-member court on abortion and other social issues.
While Judge Alito was expected to be confirmed by the full Republican-led Senate later this month, the vote will likely be closer than the 78-22 vote confirming US Chief Justice John Roberts in September since Judge Alito could shift the court's ideological balance.
Specter planned to complete a third day of questioning of Judge Alito today and hoped to wrap up the proceeding by Friday after hearing from outside witnesses, including some of Alito's colleagues on the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals.
Sen. Herb Kohl, a Wisconsin Democrat, told Judge Alito that O'Connor has been viewed as "a person at the center of the court" and asked him if "you might turn out, in a general way, to be that kind of justice?"
Judge Alito praised O'Connor, the first woman on the high court, but said, "I am my own person, with whatever abilities I have and whatever limitations I have."
"And I think if anybody looks at my record on the court of appeals they can get an idea about the way I approach the work of being a judge," he said.
In his 15 years on the federal bench, critics have charged Judge Alito is far more conservative than O'Connor but backers say he has a record as a fair-minded judge.