Judge Leon Holmes of Arkansas, the anti-abortion judge who wrote that conceptions from rape are as rare as a "snowfall in Miami," was confirmed yesterday to a federal judgeship by the Senate in a 51-46 vote.

Five Republican Senators voted against him, but this was offset by the votes of six Democrats:

• Blanche Lincoln, Arkansas
• Mark Pryor, Arkansas
• Zell Miller of Georgia
• John Breaux, Louisiana
• Mary Landrieu, Louisiana
• Ben Nelson, Nebraska

Zell Miller's vote, of course, was expected, since he's essentially a Republican right-winger holding a Democratic seat. It's also usual for Senators from the home state to support the candidate.

What is surprising is that two women Democratic Senators supported him. If you give Senator Lincoln a "pass" for being from Arkansas and therefore unable to help herself, we still have Mary Landrieu. By contrast, Republicans Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine as well as Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas all voted against him.

If you live in Arkansas, Louisiana or Nebraska, you might want to advise your Senator of your opinion of their vote. For a rundown on the ugly details of Holmes' past, People for the American Way has a summary.