By Denis Campbell

Prepare then to have your entire life laid bare and eviscerated live on television. The next 9-days will see Capitol Hill confirmation hearings and Republicans, already wounded and cornered by a Democratic Congress and White House will likely fight back hard in these hearings.

Pennsylvania Republican Senator Arlen Specter (no longer worried about an election challenge from television news commentator Chris Matthews in 2010) said yesterday “I have some facts on Holder (Attorney General candidate) Obama might not know…” Cue ominous three note villain theme music.

It is a tough road to hoe and it’s been a long time since the Senate failed to confirm a presidential nominee. 

Yesterday – former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, nominated to be Health and Human Services Secretary faced a bunch of softballs in his hearing and was curiously endorsed by Viagra pitchman and former Majority Leader for the Republicans, Bob Dole as he graciously testified in Daschle’s support. You can mark that one a slam dunk.

Today and next week the real show begins.

09 January – Hilda Solis (Labor) she is a darling of the progressive and therefore is likely to draw some heavier Republican fire. But the real fireworks begin next Tuesday with Hillary Clinton opening the show and Eric Holder closing it.

13 January – Clinton (State), Duncan (Education), Chu (Energy) Nobel laureate, Pete Orzag (OMB), Lisa Jackson (EPA)

14 January – Eric Shinseki (Veteran Affairs), Tom Vilsak (Agriculture)

15 January – Ken Salazar (Interior), Timothy Geithner (Treasury), Janet Napolitano (Homeland Security), Susan Rice (UN Ambassador), Eric Holder (Attorney General)

Hillary will face tough questions about Bill and his fund raising and how that may or may not influence her decisions regarding sanctions against those countries if needed.

Eric Holder will face tough questions about his role in the pardon by President Clinton of billionaire creep Marc Rich. He has already apologised for letting that one get past his office and will likely see questions about his role in the Elian Gonzales saga. 

Gonzales was an 8 year old Cuban boy who suvived a boat lift. His mother divorced his father and left illegally with him. She died en route and his father petitioned for Elian to be returned to his custody in Cuba. This was red meat for the Miami Cuban community that vowed to fight any attempt to take Elian from his family. It created a right wing media furore when SWAT teams forcibly removed the young boy from the house.

Republicans see this as a stain as Holder was deputy to then AG Janet Reno. So for pure theatre, tune in Thursday.

Robert Reich, former Clinton Labor Secretary said on the Rachel Maddow Show yesterday that, “Congress will huff and puff but they will all make it.” He then went on to describe his own confirmation process and hearings. He talked of being coached by a team, taken through a mock hearing where they brought out everything I ever said and played Republican senators. “It was a cruel gruelling and very helpful.”

He also offered advice to all nominees that the most important thing is “these hearings are not about policy, they are about deference and respect. You need to communicate to Republicans that you respect them, you will work with them and you will not ignore them.”

Still, why are Democrats on the defensive so much? Do they need to be reminded they won the election?