Americans say the Senate should aggressively examine federal judicial nominees and not just approve them because they are the president's choices.

That's one of the few aspects of this divisive issue that gets widespread agreement, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Friday.....

The poll found 78 percent believe the Senate should take an "assertive role" examining judicial nominees rather than just give the president the benefit of the doubt. There were majorities among each political affiliation - Democrats, Republicans and independents.

"I'm probably more on the conservative side, but I think the Senate should closely look at each nominee," said Heidi Densel, a Republican from Fort Wayne, Ind.

Democrat Carol Zebott of Duluth, Minn., said she wants the Senate to examine the judicial choices of the president because "I just think he has been making a lot of bad decisions lately."