Word: wallers
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TIME congressional correspondent Douglas Waller was on the scene again as John Ashcroft's confirmation hearings stretched into their third...
...Waller: Ronnie White obviously highlighted today's hearing - he essentially saved his reputation today. It wasn't such a good day for Ashcroft: White's testimony may have tarnished the senator's reputation. But in the end it didn't hurt his chances for confirmation...
...Waller: The GOP played softball - last week they'd threatened to draw the White testimony out and rehash his past alongside Ashcroft's, making it a sort of dual hearing. But the GOP must have decided they're ahead on points - Ashcroft will be confirmed, so why have every civil rights and liberal group in the country up in arms over a harsh line of questioning...
...Waller: The outside witnesses are going to continue for a while. [Vermont senator Patrick] Leahy, who is chairman of the committee until this weekend, is saying the hearings will go through Friday, but Orrin Hatch [who will take over as chairman] wants to wrap things up. He's angry that Leahy scheduled outside witnesses in the first place - if he had been in charge, Thursday's testimony wouldn?t have happened...
...Waller: They'll probably vote in committee next week, and the vote will go to the Senate floor the week after that, at the earliest. Then, of course, there's always the possibility that Ted Kennedy will whip out the filibuster he's been threatening, but I'm not at all sure how viable that warning really is at this point...