WASHINGTON - Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said Friday he is leaning toward voting for Judge Samuel Alito, after a morning meeting with the Supreme Court nominee. "I think this man is clearly qualified," Conrad told the Associated Press after the meeting.

Conrad also said he will not support a filibuster threat from die-hards in his party who worry that the conservative judge would swing the court too far to the right.

A final vote on the federal appeals court judge is scheduled for Tuesday morning if Alito's supporters succeed in rounding up 60 votes to cut off debate Monday. The leaders of the Democratic filibuster attempt - Massachusetts Sens. Edward Kennedy and John Kerry - have been trying to drum up support in their caucus for blocking Alito.

Conrad predicted the filibuster would fail.

Alito continues to gain support from Republicans and Democrats in the Senate. Fifty-two of the Republicans' 55-member majority and three Democrats are publicly supporting his confirmation as a replacement for retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

North Dakota's other senator, Democrat Byron Dorgan, has also waited to announce a decision on his vote. But he said Thursday that he would not support a filibuster of the nomination.

Conrad said that he still has some questions about Alito's views on the breadth of executive branch power and his failure to initially recuse himself from a 2002 case involving Vanguard, a mutual fund where he has held six-figure investments.

The senator said he questioned Alito on the Vanguard issue, and the judge told him he had made a mistake.

Conrad also said he was concerned about a farm foreclosure case over which Alito had presided, in which the family involved said they were treated in an abusive manner by federal agents. Alito gave him some cases to review and he will make a final decision after looking through those cases, Conrad said.

Conrad said he finds many compelling reasons to vote for Alito, including polling that shows a significant number of Americans want him confirmed. He noted that President Clinton's nominees to the Supreme Court were confirmed with large bipartisan majorities, and that the Senate unanimously confirmed Alito for his current spot on the 3rd U.S.Circuit Court of Appeals.

In addition, Conrad said he is encouraged that the American Bar Association has given Alito its highest rating.

Conrad also said President Bush has a right to pick the person he trusts for the bench.

"Elections have consequences," Conrad said.