Senators unsatisfied by responses from Miers

WASHINGTON – The top two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee complained Wednesday about the written responses they received from Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers this week and warned her to expect tough questions from Republicans and Democrats when her confirmation hearing begins Nov. 7.

Barely concealing their irritation during a 35-minute news conference at the Capitol, Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and ranking Democrat Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., called the lobbying on Miers’ behalf “chaotic,” and said the answers she provided Monday to a lengthy questionnaire were inadequate. “The comments I have heard range from incomplete to insulting,” Leahy said.

They sent Miers a three-page letter asking for more detailed responses in several areas, and Specter said he has asked the Bush administration for more documents concerning her work as White House counsel. Specter said Miers must provide “amplification on many, many of the items” included in the first questionnaire.

Miers quickly replied, writing that she would comply with the new request. She also wrote that “as a result of an administrative oversight,” her Texas law license was suspended for 26 days in 1989 because of unpaid dues. On Monday, Miers disclosed that her D.C. law license was briefly suspended last year because of unpaid annual dues.

Announcing plans to start the confirmation hearing Nov. 7 despite Democrats’ request for more time, Specter told reporters: “This is going to be an unusual hearing where I think all 18 senators are going to have probing questions.” The panel has 10 Republicans and eight Democrats.