U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., cast the deciding vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, advancing Republican former Sen. John Ashcroft's confirmation as attorney general.
A vote expected to come in the next few days by the entire Senate stands as Ashcroft's final obstacle.
Feingold joined eight Republicans in his vote to confirm Ashcroft, by a measure of 10-8, saying he was extending to \the new Republican administration an olive branch, but it is not a white flag.""
Ashcroft's confirmation has been called a near-certainty by many analysts.
""I will expect that on the floor that he's going to have the same kind of issues with the same kind of outcome,"" UW-Madison political science Professor Don Kettl said.
In making his decision, Feingold cited that ""the Senate has nearly uniformly sought to avoid disapproving nominations because of their philosophy alone. I believe we should not begin to do so now.""
UW-Madison political science Professor Charles Franklin said the large number of Republican voters within Wisconsin allowed Feingold to act on his own philosophical and political beliefs.
""Bottom line is, I think Feingold is not going to be terribly hurt supporting Ashcroft,"" he said.
Yet Feingold's approval was not a glowing one, as he also recognized the controversial issues ""that could lead any reasonable person to conclude that this nomination should not move forward.""
He labeled certain portions of Ashcroft's history as ""sorry chapters,"" including the opposition of U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg James Hormel's nomination, allegedly due to Hormel's sexual orientation, and the attacks Ashcroft made on Missouri Supreme Court Judge Ronnie White during his bid for U.S. district court judgeship. Some have criticized Ashcroft for fighting to block White's nomination, charging that his motives were racist in nature.
Kettl said Feingold's decision reiterates his position as a moderate Democrat, willing to depart from party lines.
""If any questioned if, in fact, Feingold is a maverick, this should put it to rest,"" he said.
Both Democratic senators from Wisconsin, Feingold and Herb Kohl, were the only uncertainties in an equally split bipartisan 18-member committee before Tuesday's vote. Kohl voted against Ashcroft.
White House spokesperson Scott Stanzel said President George W. Bush was happy to see Ashcroft receive the committee's approval.
""President Bush feels that John Ashcroft is one of the most qualified individuals to ever be selected for the position of attorney general,"" Stanzel said.
