"Cronie Patrol"-White House targets doubts on Miers nod

The White House yesterday dismissed early doubts from nearly half the Senate's Republicans over the Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers, saying that lawmakers also expressed doubts about Judge John G. Roberts Jr., who was easily confirmed last month as chief justice."Even before the hearings that led to confirmation of Chief Justice Roberts, senators were saying they were reserving judgment on how they would vote until they got to know him better at the hearings," deputy press secretary Dana Perino said."Now the same is being said about Harriet Miers, just one week after her nomination, and that should not be surprising nor be cast in a negative light for what is the norm," she said.The Washington Times yesterday reported that nearly half of Republican senators have expressed doubt about the nomination of Miss Miers, reflecting concerns held by some conservatives about her murky record. Many conservatives want President Bush to nominate a strong conservative to shift the court on abortion and other contentious issues. The White House yesterday responded by saying that senators Republican and Democrat normally wait until after the confirmation hearings to make up their minds on how they will vote on particular nominees.