Ad War at Full Blast as Alito Hearings Begin ; Interest Groups Target Specific States and Take to the Internet to Make Their Case for or against Confirmation

Beginning of article

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito faces his first questions from senators on the Judiciary Committee Tuesday, slightly ahead of where he was when President Bush nominated him on Oct. 31.

In contrast to previous judicial nominees, Judge Alito's approval ratings have improved ahead of his confirmation hearings, from 49 percent to 54 percent, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted last month.

Now that both sides have mastered the art of the Bork, Alito's standing reflects, in part, how effectively interest groups have neutralized each other's arguments.

"Borking" drifted into the English language - or at least into discussions on court …