Supreme Idol: Sam, You're Through To the Next Round

The Judiciary Committee has voted (one week late) to send Judge Alito to the Senate floor.  The vote went straight down party lines, meaning Senators Feingold, Leahy, and Kohl found Justice Roberts to be qualified but Judge Alito not to be.

Matt Margolis liveblogged the vote, as well as the excuses.

THE FINAL VOTE:

Yes

1. Brownback
2. Coburn
3. Cornyn
4. DeWine
5. Graham
6. Grassley
7. Hatch
8. Kyl
9. Sessions
10. Specter

No

1. Biden
2. Durbin
3. Feingold
4. Feinstein
5. Kennedy
6. Kohl
7. Leahy
8. Schumer

The results are not surprising, but they don't bode well for the tally in the full Senate.  With presumed support of all 55 Republicans and at least 1 Democrat (and especially in light of the fact that more than 1 GOP G14er is ready to invoke the Constitutional option upon a filibuster, giving it majority support), Alito will almost certainly be confirmed.  But his vote total will be far lower than it should be, assuming the new test (i.e. "Would this nominee have been my pick?") applied by the Judiciary Committee Democrats is adopted by their colleagues in the full Senate.

Elsewhere:  The Political Teen, Michelle Malkin, Stop the ACLU