[JURIST] Republican and Democratic sources said Monday that Senate Republicans have proposed the week of November 7th to begin confirmation hearings for beleaguered US Supreme Court candidate Harriet Miers [JURIST news archive]. Though Republicans are seeking a vote by the full Senate prior to Thanksgiving, it was not immediately clear whether Democrats would attempt to push back the vote.

In related Miers news, President Bush Monday tried to bolster support for Miers by holding a meeting at the White House [press release; JURIST report] with six former members of the Texas Supreme Court who back the nomination. Said Bush of his visitors,

We've got Republicans and Democrats, people who have been on the court, attorney generals. They're here to send a message here in Washington that the person I picked to take Sandra Day O'Connor's place is not only a person of high character and of integrity, but a person who can get the job done.

Harriet Miers is a uniquely qualified person to serve on the bench. She is smart, she is capable, she is a pioneer. She's been consistently ranked as one of the top 50 women lawyers in the United States. She has been a leader in the legal profession. She's impressed these folks. They know her well. They know that she'll bring excellence to the bench.

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