WASHINGTON

ALITO HAS ENOUGH SUPPORT AS SENATE BEGINS FINAL DEBATE

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito took a victory lap in the Senate yesterday, accepting congratulations from Republican leaders as lawmakers moved toward confirming him in a largely party-line vote.

A few hours after the final confirmation debate began, Judge Alito met with Senate Majority Leader Frist, Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, and the Judiciary Committee chairman, Senator Specter in a Capitol room that directly faces the neighboring Supreme Court.

The conservative judge shook their hands and joked with the Republican leaders and thanked them for their efforts as senators debated his nomination on the Senate floor. Judge Alito, who had met privately with more than 80 senators since his October nomination, thanked “all of the senators who supported me and were kind enough to meet with me.”

“I call on the United States Senate to put partisanship aside and give Judge Alito the up-or-down vote he deserves,” Mr. Bush said at the White House, “and confirm him as the next associate justice of the Supreme Court.”

Judge Alito has enough support from 51 Republicans and Democratic Senator Nelson of Nebraska to assure his confirmation.

– Associated Press

BUSH SAYS AMERICANS SHOULD TAKE BIN LADEN THREAT SERIOUSLY

President Bush, defending the government’s secret surveillance program, said yesterday that Americans should take Osama bin Laden seriously when he says he’s going to attack again.

“When he says he’s going to hurt the American people again, or try to, he means it,” Mr. Bush told reporters after visiting the top secret National Security Agency, where the surveillance program is based. “I take it seriously, and the people of NSA take it seriously.”

It was Mr. Bush’s first comment about Mr. bin Laden since the Al Qaeda leader warned in a tape aired last week that his fighters are preparing new attacks in America.

– Associated Press

SENATORS CALL FOR INDEPENDENT ETHICS COMMISSION

Convinced that Congress cannot overhaul its rules on ethics and lobbying in the politically charged atmosphere of an election year, two senators called yesterday for the creation of an independent commission to do the job.

Senator Nelson, a Democrat of Nebraska, and Senator Coleman, a Republican of Minnesota, said an outside panel is more likely to come up with a sweeping package of changes than a Congress driven by partisanship.

But their proposal faced quick resistance from two senators leading the reform push – Senator Lieberman, a Democrat of Connecticut and Senator McCain, a Republican of Arizona. They have proposed legislation that would require lobbyists to provide more detailed reports about their contacts with lawmakers and other business activities.

Both said yesterday they feared creating an independent commission and waiting for it to act would slow the momentum for change that has been building since Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty earlier this month to corruption charges stemming from lobbying.

– Los Angeles Times

SOUTH

SEVEN CHILDREN KILLED IN FLORIDA SCHOOL BUS CRASH

LAKE BUTLER, Fla. – Seven children were killed yesterday and at least three others seriously injured in a fiery crash involving a school bus, a car and a tractor-trailer in rural northern Florida, police said.

The truck hit the car from behind and pushed it into the bus, causing the car to burst into flames, said Lieutenant Mike Burroughs of the Florida Highway Patrol. All seven of the people riding in the car were killed. Their ages ranged from 15 years to 21 months and all were related, police said. It was unclear why the children were unaccompanied.

– Associated Press