CHICAGO (AP) — U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate’s second-highest ranking Democrat, said Thursday he will vote against confirmation of Samuel Alito as the nation’s 110th Supreme Court Justice.
Durbin, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he will oppose the nomination of the federal appeals court judge when it comes for a vote next week because Alito has failed to show he would protect privacy rights.
“Based on his record, I’m concerned that Judge Alito will not be willing to stand up to a president who is determined to seize too much power over our personal lives,” Durbin said in a statement.
He also criticized Alito for being guarded at his confirmation hearings, noting that the New Jersey native would not even clearly say whether he is a Bruce Springsteen fan.
Democrats have argued that Alito, a former Reagan administration lawyer, would likely swing the court to the right in replacing the centrist Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who has provided decisive votes on issues such as abortion, capital punishment and affirmative action.
President Bush selected the 55-year-old Alito after White House counsel Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination amid withering criticism from conservatives.