[Graymatter]

Let's see, Miers was nominated Oct. 3 and they were figuring to start hearings Nov. 7. She needed only 35 days, or so they thought.
Roberts was nominated Jul. 20, hearings set for Sep. 6. He needed 48 days.
Alito is nominated Oct. 31 and he won't get a hearing until Jan. 7---68 days. Would that be because he needs so much more preparation than Roberts, and twice as much as Miers did?

[You Dirty Rats]

No; the hearings started later for Roberts than the (scheduled) hearings for Miers because the Senate is out in August. These pompous blowhards aren't going to interrupt planned vacations, holiday and junkets for SCOTUS hearings. Work between Thanksgiving and New Years? The Horrah!

[flaglady47]

Alito is nominated Oct. 31 and he won't get a hearing until Jan. 7---68 days. Would that be because he needs so much more preparation than Roberts, and twice as much as Miers did?

No, it's because Thanskgiving and Christmas vacations periods are within that 68 day period and Wash DC will be empty of politicians, which is a good thing.

[heleny]

Let's see, Miers was nominated Oct. 3 and they were figuring to start hearings Nov. 7. She needed only 35 days, or so they thought. Roberts was nominated Jul. 20, hearings set for Sep. 6. He needed 48 days. Alito is nominated Oct. 31 and he won't get a hearing until Jan. 7---68 days. Would that be because he needs so much more preparation than Roberts, and twice as much as Miers did?

Since they were already planning to start hearings on Nov 7th for the Supreme Court nominee (Miers), why can't they just jump into the confirmation hearings with the successor nominee (Alito) on Monday? Unless Alito doesn't want to go so soon, I see no real reason the Senate should delay, since they should have already been prepared to ask whatever questions they wanted to ask of Miers. And, since the hearings usually take many days, the Senators' staff can continue to prepare more questions as the hearings progress. Thanksgiving is still three weeks away.