From the subscription-only CQ site, this article mentions all the calls Salazar's office got, and also details the Coloradan's defense of Democrats who voted against Gonzales for AG, adding that he is not "abandoning" his party.
A lot of the folks here are peeved, I know, but I suppose this may be the reality for red-state senators, at least for now...
Here are some excerpts.
Freshman Salazar Deeply Conflicted Over Attorney General
In the weeks leading up to Thursday's vote on the nomination of Alberto R. Gonzales to be attorney general, freshman Sen. Ken Salazar was squeezed on all sides.
The Colorado Democrat was under pressure to stand with colleagues in his party, many of whom spoke out passionately against the nomination. At the same time, Salazar had to be mindful of the wishes of his mostly conservative constituents -- and his loyalty to another Hispanic.
Ultimately, after weighing those competing interests, Salazar joined just five of his Democratic colleagues in voting for Gonzales....
On Feb. 1, as Senate debate began on Gonzales, Salazar said he was "undecided" and was "still reviewing" Gonzales' record. His office was
flooded with phone calls and e-mails from constituents and liberal activists who opposed putting the 49-year-old lawyer at the head of
the Justice Department.
"The lines were very hot," Salazar said Thursday.
...
Meanwhile, Salazar was meeting privately with Gonzales, seeking reassurances that the nominee would be a vigorous enforcer of civil rights.... In the end, Salazar extracted a "written commitment" that Gonzales would "fight for civil rights."
...
Even as Salazar recorded his support, he took pains to assure Senate Democrats that he was not abandoning them.
In a floor speech Thursday, Salazar defended Democrats who opposed the nominee, saying they were exercising their constitutional duty.
"The questions that have been raised about Judge Gonzales are . . . very serious questions about international law and international accords and the laws of these United States," Salazar said.
Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., one of the most ardent critics of Gonzales, extended an olive branch of his own. "I commend [Salazar] for what he's done," Leahy said. "I thank him for his remarks. It is what I would have expected from a man of his integrity and quality."
The article goes on to quote Lieberman some, but I figure if I post that, someone's head will explode somewhere. I don't want that, now do I? :)