[JURIST] According to congressional aides, confirmation hearings for US Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers [JURIST news archives] in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee [official website] are set to begin on November 7. The aides have said that committee chairman Sen. Arlen Specter [official website] plans an announcement later Wednesday. Republicans hope to have a full Senate confirmation vote by November 24. Senators from both sides of the aisle have been hesitant about Miers, though some are warming to the nomination. Republican Sen. Trent Lott [official website], said Wednesday that he will likely end up supporting Miers [UPI report] despite earlier comments that he was not comfortable with Miers due to his past dealings with her and conservative opposition to the nomination. Judiciary Committee member Sen. Charles Schumer [official website] repeated calls for opposition to the nomination, saying that her responses to a Judiciary Committee questionnaire [JURIST report] were disappointing and unilluminating. Reuters has more.

4:05 PM ET – Senate officials have confirmed the November 7 start date for confirmation hearings on the Miers nomination, but did not commit to finishing the process by the end of November. AFP has more.

4:29 PM ET – Sen. Specter and Sen. Patrick Leahy, ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Wednesday asked Miers to clarify some of the responses [PDF text] she provided to committee questions. In a letter to Miers [text], the senators asked for supplemental responses to several questions, including queries on Miers' work with constitutional issues and categories of cases Miers could need to recuse herself from due to potential conflicts of interest. Reuters has more.

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