Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito cleared a Senate panel that voted 10-8 along party lines early Tuesday, paving the way for a possibly divisive fight in the legislature over his confirmation.
Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., and Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., both members of the panel, voted against Alito's confirmation.
'Today, Sens. Kohl and Feingold stood up for the individual rights and freedoms of Americans by voting against the confirmation of Bush nominee Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court,' read a statement from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
'The confirmation of Samuel Alito not only poses a threat to women's reproductive rights, but also a threat to the civil rights and individual liberties granted to all Americans through our Constitution.'
Republicans on the committee praised Alito's judicial record and experience and hinted at their expectation for a quick confirmation.
