WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Clinton yesterday backed a rebel band of Senate Dems seeking to filibuster a vote on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Samuel Alito.

Democratic leaders had warned that filibuster efforts were going nowhere and would let President Bush score easy political points, but Clinton said, "I oppose his nomination and support efforts to block his confirmation."

"I do not think Judge Alito would advance the principles Americans hold most dear," she said, adding she would vote against a move to cut off a filibuster should one occur.

Any senator can filibuster - or command the floor to block a vote. It takes 60 votes to invoke cloture to end a filibuster.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) made it clear earlier in the day that the party didn't have the votes to defeat a cloture vote, so a filibuster was doomed to failure.

Nevertheless, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) have pushed for a filibuster, a move that delights Republicans.

"If the Democratic left does a filibuster led by Kerry, that's found money for us," a top GOP official said.

The filibuster tactic could have repercussions for Clinton. Her move is bound to be seen as an appeal to the liberal base that dominates the Democratic presidential primaries, following several Senate votes that could be seen as attempts to move to the center.

In an interview on the "CBS Evening News," Bush said of Clinton's 2008 chances, "She's formidable."

A spokesman for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he had made no decision on a filibuster and declined comment on Clinton's move.



Originally published on January 27, 2006