21.   But Hyde said Monday that he had not yet decided whether he would allow a committee vote on censure.

22.   But in a statement released shortly after the committee vote, the president portrayed the setback in more sweeping terms.

23.   But Knight defended his tactics, noting that the Assembly measure repealing the ban was never allowed to come up for a Senate committee vote.

24.   But Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, speaking before the committee vote, said confirming Ashcroft was not the way to achieve it.

25.   But Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., who sets the agenda for floor action, made it clear that the committee vote would be final.

26.   Committee votes are also not recorded on the site.

27.   Democratic leadership aides rejected the idea that committee votes on nominees not be binding.

28.   Democrats have considered delaying a committee vote on the nomination because Ashcroft has not yet answered all the written questions posed to him by senators, as required.

29.   Democrats also want Burton and the Republicans to have a full committee vote on deciding what subpoenas to issue and what information to make public from those documents.

30.   Flinn would not name the nominee but said the committee vote on the candidate was almost unanimous.