Although the dossier is not yet complete, I submit the quotations I have culled from various news articles nonetheless. I am still seeking recent articulations of stances from the following Senators:
Cantwell (D-WA) - I know she will vote no, but I need a statement.
Murray (D-WA)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Inouye (D-HI)
Akaka (D-HI)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Harkin (D-IA)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
These eleven senators have eschewed making any comments to reporters.
Quotations in the extended entry.
Tally thus far:
YEA: Johnson, Baucus, Bingaman, Leahy, Kohl, Feingold, Conrad, Nelson of Florida, Nelson of Nebraska, Pryor, Byrd
NAY: Boxer, Kennedy, Kerry, Corzine, Biden, Reid, Lautenberg, Feinstein, Schumer, Durbin, Obama, Clinton
YEA
Robert Bryd (D-WV)
"I have faith in him — party doesn't make any difference to me," said the West Virginian, who earlier in his career served as Senate Democratic leader longer than anyone in history.
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson's spokesman and one of his top political advisers, Dan McLaughlin, rebuffed critics who said Nelson should be saying already how he'll vote. He also attacked Harris for her early backing of Roberts.
"You do not find Bill Nelson out front saying how he's going to vote on someone until the [Judiciary Committee] work is done," McLaughlin said. "Anyone who rushes out on the day the president nominates someone is nothing but a partisan hack ...
"And as for Harris, it's not her job to advise and consent with the president on nominees."
Nelson's office released a statement on Tuesday hinting that he would support Roberts' confirmation.
"Sen. Nelson was favorably impressed when he met with Judge Roberts several weeks ago and nothing happened during the recent hearing to change his mind. He'll make his final decision known after the committee votes on Roberts Thursday," the statement reads.
Mark Pryor (D-AR)
"I want to make sure that we have the very best jurist we can have," Pryor said. "I also want to make sure that he's not going to be an activist."
Max Baucus (D-MT)
"I'm inclined to vote for Roberts unless something else comes up."
``After reviewing Judge John Roberts' credentials and meeting with him privately, I have found that he meets my criteria for judges,'' Baucus said.
He said Roberts, who is nominated to be chief justice, told him he has a ``healthy respect for precedent and the hard-won rights of Americans.''
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Democrat Tim Johnson said Wednesday that Roberts does not appear to be "an ideologue or otherwise outside the broad mainstream of contemporary conservative legal thinking."
"By my vote for Judge Roberts, I signal to President Bush my hope that his nominee to succeed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will similarly be a distinguished jurist or scholar who can win broad bipartisan support," Johnson said.
Herb Kohl (D-WI)
But Sens. Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold, both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also were mum on whether they will recommend Roberts to the full Senate.
In separate interviews, the two Wisconsin Democrats said they planned to listen to constituents over the weekend and to read through the transcripts of the hearing.
Kohl also acknowledged in an interview he expects Roberts to win confirmation by the full Senate and that minority Democrats won't try to block him as a group.
"The likelihood is that he is going to get confirmed," said Kohl, indicating virtually all of the Senate's 55 Republicans will support Roberts and the only question is how many of the 44 Democrats and one independent also will.
Kohl said he wasn't surprised by Roberts' periodic evasiveness.
"Obviously, he didn't satisfy us who were looking for definitive answers, but in fairness that has been a tradition at these kinds of Supreme Court confirmation hearings," he observed.
The Judiciary Democrats are split evenly so far, with their top Democrat, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, deciding Wednesday to vote to confirm Roberts, and Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl announcing his approval of Roberts on Thursday morning.
"I have enormous respect for Judge Roberts’ legal talents - they are undeniable,'' Kohl said. "It is for this reason - his distinguished career and his sterling reputation as a lawyer and a judge - that I will vote my hopes today and not my fears.''
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
I heard days of testimony and hours of meetings with Judge Roberts. Would I have liked more information? Of course -- I always want more. Is a no vote the easier and more popular one?
Of course again, especially with my constituency. But in my judgment, in my experience, but especially in my conscience I find it is better to vote yes than no. Ultimately my Vermont roots have always told me to go with my conscience and they do so today.
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Three Democrats from states that Bush carried in winning re- election last year -- Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Tim Johnson of South Dakota and Max Baucus of Montana -- have announced their support for Roberts.
Russ Feingold (D-WI)
But Sens. Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold, both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also were mum on whether they will recommend Roberts to the full Senate.
In separate interviews, the two Wisconsin Democrats said they planned to listen to constituents over the weekend and to read through the transcripts of the hearing.
Through Friday, Feingold's office reported opposition to the Roberts nomination was running 2-1. They received 5,334 letters, phone calls, faxes or e-mail messages opposing Roberts and 2,686 in support. Another 1,769 did not take a position either way.
Both Wisconsin senators say they won't be swayed by public opinion in the final analysis.
"You can't just take a poll," Feingold said. "We have been elected to exercise our judgment here."
Several other leading Senate Democrats have refused to say how they will vote, notably including those who might run for president in 2008. They include Clinton, Evan Bayh of Indiana, Joseph Biden of Delaware, and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.
Feingold said he thinks Roberts won't bring an ideological agenda to the high court position and will respect the importance of judicial precedent.
"This has not been an easy decision but I believe it is a correct one,'' Feingold said.
Feingold acknowledged that Roberts never said exactly whether he would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, which established a woman's right to an abortion.
"He certainly left some wiggle room," Feingold said. "But it would be difficult to overrule Roe or other important precedents while remaining true to his testimony about stability and settled law."
"His answers showed a gut-level understanding of the potential dangers of a court that operates entirely in secret, with no adversary process. ... He seemed genuinely disturbed by the idea of a court without the usual protections of an open, adversary process."
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Sen. Conrad has predicted that upwards of one-half of the 45-member Senate Democratic caucus would vote to confirm Roberts.
"He's highly intelligent. He has strong credentials. He is a conservative, but I think he is mainstream conservative," Conrad said in a brief interview.
Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana are leaning toward voting for Roberts. Sen. Kent Conrad (news, bio, voting record) of North Dakota is viewed as a possible vote for him, as well.
"He told me in our conversation today that he does not have an ideological agenda," Conrad said of Roberts.
Roberts has an "impressive knowledge of the law," Conrad said. "He told me we will be able to look back with pride and say we supported him," he said.
Benjamin Nelson (D-NE)
"I've not seen anything that would cause me to vote against" Roberts.
Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana are leaning toward voting for Roberts.
LEAN YEA
Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana are leaning toward voting for Roberts. Sen. Kent Conrad (news, bio, voting record) of North Dakota is viewed as a possible vote for him, as well.
Roberts is "very well credentialed," Landrieu said Wednesday.
NAY
Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
When reporters asked for her thoughts on Roberts on Tuesday, she playfully mimed with nods, shrugs and an enigmatic smile.
Several other leading Senate Democrats have refused to say how they will vote, notably including those who might run for president in 2008. They include Clinton, Evan Bayh of Indiana, Joseph Biden of Delaware, and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.
Asked if she had decided, Clinton shrugged as she entered a Capitol elevator Tuesday.
"Desire to maintain the already fragile Supreme Court majority for civil rights, voting rights and women's rights outweighs the respect I have for Judge Roberts' intellect, character and legal skills."
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
“I knew as little about what Judge Roberts really thought about issues after the hearings as I did before the hearing. This makes it very hard for me,” said Feinstein, an abortion rights supporter.
“I cannot in good conscious cast a ‘yea’ vote,” she said. “I will cast a ‘no’ vote.”
Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat who led some of the most aggressive questioning of Roberts, said he was undecided.
Schumer told Roberts, "I for one wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it and have been unsure how to vote."
"The risk that he might be a Thomas and the lack of any reassurance that he won't _ particularly in light of this president's professed desire to nominate people in that mold _ is just not good enough," said Schumer, D-N.Y., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"I hope he is not a Thomas. But the risk is too great to bear," Schumer said. "The court's balance may for decades be tipped radically in one direction."
"Because of that risk and its enormous consequences for generations of Americans, I cannot vote yes," Schumer said. "I must reluctantly cast my vote against confirmation."
Joe Biden (D-DE)
Several other leading Senate Democrats have refused to say how they will vote, notably including those who might run for president in 2008. They include Clinton, Evan Bayh of Indiana, Joseph Biden of Delaware, and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.
Senator Joseph Biden (D-Del.) will vote against the confirmation of John G. Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States, a source who has spoken to the senator told The Huffington Post.
Last Wednesday, Biden told Roberts, "We're rolling the dice with you, judge because you won't share your views with us. You've told me nothing in this Kabuki dance. The public has a right to know what you think."
Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
"This is really a leap of faith, isn't it?" Kennedy said Tuesday. "There are those that took the leap in terms of the war, there were those who took the leap in terms of taxes and now they are being invited to take the leap again in terms of Judge Roberts. And I don't think I'm going to be among them."
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who is expected to announce his opposition to Roberts as soon as today, said he hopes Reid's stature and the respect he enjoys from his colleagues will convince Democrats to oppose Roberts.
Also today, Democratic Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts said he will vote against Roberts, saying the nominee was ``on the wrong side of history'' for opposing civil rights legislation.
Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
"I don't think there is any doubt he'll be confirmed. The question is how many Democrats vote for him."
Lautenberg said he was undecided but leaning toward not voting to confirm Roberts because he failed to answer too many questions.
Lautenberg said although Roberts is intelligent and likable, "he wasn't straightforward in answering questions about his commitment to civil rights and the right to privacy."
"Serious questions were raised about Judge Roberts' philosophy because of memos he wrote as a lawyer in the Reagan administration in which he mocked women's rights, opposed strengthening the Voting Rights Act and referred to the government agency that polices employment discrimination as `un-American,"' Lautenberg said.
New Jersey Democrat Jon Corzine said he would oppose Roberts, and Frank Lautenberg, the state's other Democratic senator, said his ``inclination'' was to oppose the nomination. Lautenberg said he wanted to study the hearing transcript before deciding.
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Reid said in a speech on the Senate floor that he could not vote for approval because he has ''too many unanswered questions" about Roberts's record on civil rights.
''I must resolve my doubts in favor of the American people whose rights would be in jeopardy if John Roberts turns out to be the wrong person for the job."
"I have too many unanswered questions about the nominee to justify a vote confirming him to this enormously important lifetime position."
John Kerry (D-MA)
"I can't in good conscience vote to confirm Judge Roberts to a lifetime leading our third and co-equal branch of government when his confirmation hearings contained no genuine legal engagement, no real exchange of information, and no substantive discussion. The confirmation exercise has become little more than an empty shell. I cannot vote to confirm someone to lead the very branch of government responsible for ensuring equal opportunity and justice when he refuses to say where he stands on things as fundamental as how he would interpret our Constitution.
"The White House's refusal to release documents presented a significant obstacle to getting the facts, but the biggest roadblock has been Judge Roberts himself. He has evaded serious and legitimate questions and forced the Senate to exercise its Constitutional responsibility of advice and consent virtually in the dark.
"What little we do know about Judge Roberts' record gives me real concern. We need a Chief Justice who respects our Constitution and also considers the real-life implications of his decisions. Whether it's voting rights, Title IX, affirmative action, the Geneva Conventions or choice, Judge Roberts has consistently worked to put such high legal hurdles in place that they are virtually impossible for even the most worthy cases to overcome. America deserves a Chief Justice who will ensure that every single one of us - man or woman, rich or poor, black or white - will be treated with dignity, respect and fairness under the law."
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Announced her intention to vote NO in a speech on the Senate floor today.
"I said I could only vote for a nominee who would protect the rights and the freedoms of the people that I represent ... This nominee fails that bar," Boxer said on the Senate floor.
"I don't buy into this reasoning either: Let's support this nominee because the next one might be worse."
Jon Corzine (D-NJ)
New Jersey Democrat Jon Corzine said he would oppose Roberts, and Frank Lautenberg, the state's other Democratic senator, said his ``inclination'' was to oppose the nomination. Lautenberg said he wanted to study the hearing transcript before deciding.
“Finally, much of Judge Roberts’ prior legal writing has been withheld by the Bush Administration. I fear that we have not learned all that we should learn about Judge Roberts for a lifetime appointment of such significance. Fundamentally, I cannot vote ‘yes’ without being confident that he will not vote to roll back the protections and rights our nation fought so hard to attain.”
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Illinois' other senator, Dick Durbin, the Senate's No. 2-ranking Democrat, has also not taken a position yet, according to spokesman Joe Shoemaker. Durbin is expected to do so during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday.
The Illinois Democrat on Thursday said Roberts didn't give a sense of whether he has a "wise and discerning heart" in some 20 hours of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Barack Obama (D-IL)
A spokesman for Sen. Barack Obama said Tuesday the Illinois Democrat remains undecided on whether he will vote to confirm federal appeals Judge John Roberts as chief justice of the Supreme Court.
UNDECIDED
Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Several other leading Senate Democrats have refused to say how they will vote, notably including those who might run for president in 2008. They include Clinton, Evan Bayh of Indiana, Joseph Biden of Delaware, and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.
Mark Dayton (D-MN)
Democratic Sen. Mark Dayton says the first few days of hearings into the Supreme Court chief justice nominee have been "instructive," "enlightening" and "educational."
But Minnesota's senior senator says he is still undecided on Judge John Roberts.
Dayton says he will keep an open mind, and added that his Democratic colleagues don't plan to delay or disrupt the nomination process. The court starts its new term October first.
Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
That kind of certainty about Roberts' views [that he has a "high regard for the Constitution," according to the Traditional Values Coalition and other conservative groups] troubled Dodd and a lot of other Democrats.
"I'm looking at my daughter. She can be a 40-year-old woman and have her life profoundly affected by what a Roberts court does," said Dodd, who has two daughters, age 4 years and 6 months.
Dodd, though, said that as long as the reasoning behind the confirmation vote is thorough, "you can make a case to constituents on either basis."
"The major question," said Dodd, "is, am I uneasy about this guy to such a degree that I'll regret deeply my vote someday?"
Carl Levin (D-MI)
Reid told his fellow Democrats that he did not expect them to follow him out of party loyalty. Rather, he told them, he would leave it to them to make up their own minds, said Sen. Carl Levin, who added that he has not decided.
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
"My concerns were rooted in not as much his legal training as much as it was what were his personal experiences that equipped him to deal with all of the different kinds of litigants that were coming before him," Lincoln said after the meeting.
"I'll go back and reflect on that and the questions I was able to ask him," Lincoln said.
"I think it's everybody's responsibility to really look and see what's required of us and what's required of this position and to make their own decision," Lincoln said.
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Democratic Senator Jack Reed says he has not decided how he will vote on Roberts' nomination.
Ken Salazar (D-CO)
Other Democrats, including Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, both of Arkansas, and Colorado's Ken Salazar, said they haven't made up their minds.
Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden has not announced a position on the nomination.
Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
Dorgan, who is a member of his party's leadership, said Thursday that he will meet with Roberts in Washington on Monday morning and then make a decision.
"This is a lifetime appointment and I just want to be completely comfortable with my decision," Dorgan said.
Jim Jeffords (I-VT)
Vermont's junior senator, independent Jim Jeffords, has not decided how he will vote, press secretary Diane Derby said Wednesday.