Senate Reacts to Nominee Miers

By David Brody
Capitol Hill Correspondent

CBN.com – WASHINGTON - So far so good for the White House.

The rank-and-file Republicans applaud the choice, and Democrats, at least at this point, are playing nice.

Harriet Miers arrived on Capitol Hill just a few hours after this morning's announcement. She was greeted by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA).

Later, they appeared in front of clicking cameras. It was all smiles, at least for now, on Capitol Hill. As for the Democrats, the leader of the Democrats, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) says he likes her and actually did recommend her to the President. Liberal Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) is cautiously optimistic.

"Today is a day of, I guess, we put as some hope,” Schumer said. “There's hope that Harriet Miers is a mainstream nominee. A very preliminary view shows nothing in her record that would indicate she wouldn't be, but very little in her record that would indicate she would be as well. We just don't know very much.”

Schumer saying positive things may be a warning sign to conservatives that Miers may not be an ultra-conservative. Some conservative groups are concerned

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) tried to ease the worries of those conservative groups.

Cornyn said, "I would ask everybody to take a deep breath, to look at her background and qualifications, and to give her a chance before the judiciary committee…I think it's unfair to prejudge anyone, and I would ask for that restraint."

We are in the early stages of her confirmation process. More information will be coming in the next few days and weeks. Confirmation hearings will likely begin in early November.

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