Alito out of committee in party line vote

Via AP/Yahoo:

All 10 Republicans voted for Alito, while all eight Democrats voted against him. The partisan vote was almost preordained, with 15 of the 18 senators announcing their votes even before the committee's session began.

The full Senate expects to take a final vote on Alito's nomination before the end of the week. That vote is also expected to follow along party lines, with only one Democrat — Ben Nelson of Nebraska — coming out so far in support of Alito. Republicans hold the balance of power in the Senate 55-44, with one independent.

This one's going to have long-term ramifications for the Democrats. The demand from party leadership to ignore Alito's qualifications and vote against him for party gain sets the tone for future SCOTUS nominations including those that the left might make if they get back into the white house.