At the Capitol, Democrats Wait To Fill in the Blank

The bubbles popped up on her screen -- instant messages from Judiciary staff, research directors, staff on the House side. Someone heard that Michael Luttig, also a potential nominee, was seen all dressed up. Someone said Bush was supposed to call Reid at 8. Someone else heard 8:30. Someone else heard Luttig was dressed up because it was his wife's birthday.

Facing a blank space where a name should be, the staff in the Democrats' war room traded generic talking points: "Don't rush to judgment." "A candidate with the ability to unite." A news release read: "Tonight President Bush announced the nomination of X," and requested that X "judge cases fairly, with an open mind and without a political agenda."

Throughout the day, staff for Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Bush's most vocal supporter, had mimicked their opponents: The nominee will "turn back the clock," "be hostile to women's rights," "be hostile to civil rights," mocked spokesman Don Stewart. Not that the Republicans knew who the nominee was either.

"I can't believe it's 7 o'clock and we don't know," Kirszner said.

By the time the news arrives, the fight seems to have left them.

Leahy and Schumer head straight from the war room to a news conference. "The nominee won't get a free pass," they promise, and: "The Constitution calls us to examine him closely."

Leahy promises to spend August in jeans and a T-shirt on his farm in Vermont, reading all of Roberts's writings.

"Before I give a verdict I have to hear all the facts," he says.