Poll: Majority Support Alito Nomination

A new poll shows most Americans support the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito Jr. to the Supreme Court but want him to uphold Roe vs. Wade.

Fifty-four percent of respondents to the Washington Post-ABC News poll support the Senate confirmation for Alito to replace retiring Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Twenty-eight percent oppose confirming Alito, who is currently a U.S. Appeals Court Judge.

In November supporters were at 49 percent and opponents at 29.

Confirmation hearings are set to start Jan. 9 with a vote is scheduled for Jan. 20.

Sixty percent of those asked said they don’t want Alito to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court case finding abortion legal.

While a lawyer in the Reagan administration, Alito wrote a brief opposing that decision.

The poll was conducted Thursday-Sunday with telephone calls to 1,003 randomly selected adults. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.