Alito hearings, vote set for January
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-11-04 11:00

"Frankly, had Chief Justice Roberts been rammed through on an accelerated schedule that some in the White House wanted, he would not have gotten anywhere near the number of votes he got," Leahy said. Roberts was approved by a 78-22 vote.

GOOD START

Senate aides noted that even under the January timetable, Alito could be confirmed before Bush's State of the Union address, usually held in late January.

Although nomination battles are unpredictable, White House officials say Alito is off to a good start. He has held private meetings with numerous senators this week, and a bipartisan group of moderates that could hold the key to his confirmation has adopted a calm "wait and see" attitude after its first meeting about Alito on Thursday morning.

The so-called "Gang of 14," who earlier helped to avert a Senate showdown over Bush's judicial nominees, could determine whether liberals would be able to use a filibuster -- a procedural move that lets 40 of the Senate's 100 members block a nomination.

Two of the more conservative "gang" members, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mike DeWine of Ohio, both Republicans, have strongly praised Alito and expressed doubts that Democrats would be justified in trying to filibuster him. But they promised to work with the group of 14 as the process unfolds.

Bush nominated Alito after Miers withdrew from consideration amid a conservative uprising against her as well as complaints that her grasp of constitutional law failed to impress many senators, particularly members of her own party.