While a Democratic fillibuster of the Roberts nomination is unlikely, conservatives are already giving Mike DeWine a warning.
DeWine, a member of the Senate committee that will hold confirmation hearings on Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, will face close scrutiny in the weeks ahead from conservatives still smarting from his role in the bipartisan "Gang of 14" senators who struck the recent deal preserving judicial filibusters.DeWine, who is up for re-election in 2006, would face a Republican revolt if he doesn't oppose any bid by Democrats to filibuster Roberts' nomination, warned Phil Burress, president of the Cincinnati-based Citizens for Community Values. Burress ran last year's successful campaign to ban gay marriage in Ohio.
"He'd better oppose a filibuster. He can basically kiss his job goodbye if he makes one more error," Burress said Wednesday in a telephone interview.
It really won't matter. DeWine is tainted anyway. There's going to be a big chance for a Dem pickup in '06.