Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, a leading foe of abortion, hailed Alito as an "outstanding jurist" after his own meeting with the nominee. But Brownback also said he was concerned how he would rule on abortion on the Supreme Court.
Brownback said although Alito has voiced respect for Supreme Court precedent, like Roe v. Wade, "It looks like to me that he is open to review cases as he should be as a judge."
Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican and a backer of abortion rights, asked Alito about abortion during her meeting and seemed pleased by his answers.
"He assured me that he had tremendous respect for precedent and his approach is to not overturn cases due to a disagreement with how they were originally decided," Collins said.
Collins, Brownback and Lieberman, like many senators, said they have not decided whether they will back Alito.
Many special-interest groups from the right and left have begun campaigns for and against Alito.
Some liberal groups have challenged his record on civil rights, saying he has applied an excessively narrow interpretation of them as an appeals court judge.
Lieberman said Alito told him "he felt that the civil rights legislation adopted in this country was some of the best legislation that has been ever adopted ... because of the principle of equality is so important in this country."
"But that doesn't mean that everyone who brings a racial discrimination case ought to win the case," Lieberman quoted Alito as saying.
