Senate GOP Discuss Retaliation

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans will do "whatever is necessary" to ensure that majority Democrats hold confirmation hearings for President Bush (news - web sites)'s judicial nominees, a leading GOP lawmaker said Sunday.


The comments from Sen. Don Nickles (news, bio, voting record), the assistant minority leader, were the latest in the partisan bickering following the party-line defeat last week of a White House nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Nickles, R-Okla., said Democrats have been holding up the nomination process and 20 Bush nominees have not had hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee (news - web sites). Some nominees have been waiting almost a year, he said.

"We'll do whatever is necessary to get their attention to make sure that good nominees have a chance to have a hearing," Nickles said on "Fox News Sunday."