EDITORIAL CONFIRM ALITO.

THE four days of hearings, the 700 questions and the countless speeches from self-righteous politicians on both sides of the aisle were, in the end, little more than a show. To get a real look at the personality and professionalism of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, look instead to the 15 years he has served on the federal bench.

While some critics have quibbled about the outcomes of some of his rulings, none has been able to find any instances - let alone a pattern - of Alito's allowing ideology to trump sound jurisprudence. By all accounts, including those of many Democrats who have served with him, Alito scrupulously lets the facts and the law, not politics, dictate his decisions.

That, coupled with his unquestioned intellect and diligence, is why he deserves a swift confirmation to the United States Supreme Court.

Senate Democrats and various liberal interest groups have had months to make the case against Alito, and they have failed. The worst they have been able to say about him is that he is, shudder, a conservative.

But that's what you'd expect from a conservative president's Supreme Court nominee. And unlike, say, Harriet Miers, who was chosen less for her qualifications than for her ideological and personal loyalty, Alito seems like exactly the sort of conservative jurist even liberals can embrace - one who will do the job with dispassion and integrity.

As a matter of principle, some Democrats may still want to vote against Alito, which is their right. What isn't right is any attempt to derail his confirmation with a filibuster. Unless they come up with something more significant than what they have, there is no justification in this case for obstructionist, partisan battles.

Instead, it is a time for thoughtfulness, reason and civility - the very traits Alito has shown throughout his confirmation hearings and his career.