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WASHINGTON - Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, an opponent of abortion rights during the Reagan administration, sought to provide assurances Friday that he would put his views aside when it came time to rule on the issue as a justice.
"He said that his personal feelings would not be a factor in his judicial decision," Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said after a private meeting with Alito.
Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that will hold Alito's confirmation hearings, also said Alito had indicated he would give weight to legal precedent in any abortion cases that came before the court.
President Bush nominated Alito, 55 and an appeals court judge, to the court on Oct. 31. If confirmed by the Senate, he would succeed retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who has often cast the swing vote on abortion and other contentious issues.
Specter, who supports abortion rights, said he was "going to reserve judgment on the question as to whether Judge Alito can fairly judge an abortion case until he testifies."