WHICH WOULD MAKE TEDDY A YETI?:

Hill Veterans Light the Way for Nominee: 'Sherpas' Akin to Personal Coaches (Christopher Lee, 9/09/05, Washington Post)

The role of the sherpa, named for the Tibetan guides who assist climbers in the Himalayas, is largely off camera and unpaid. It is a critical and routine part of the Washington odyssey that high-profile nominees go through on their way to the high court or top Cabinet posts.

When John G. Roberts Jr. was nominated by President Bush in July to be an associate justice, he was promptly provided with two guides: former senator Fred D. Thompson (R-Tenn.) and former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie. Both are considered savvy Washington insiders who are now comfortably on the outside. After the death of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist last week, Bush nominated Roberts to lead the court.

Roberts has not faced anything like the opposition Bork did. Democrats say they will press him harder at his confirmation hearings beginning Monday now that he is in line to be chief.

"There are several roles you play," said Duberstein, who also served as a guide for Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, CIA Director Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State George P. Shultz. "You are the chief strategist for the ultimate goal of getting that person confirmed. You are also the traffic cop, because everybody wants to see the prospective nominee. You are a coach and you're also a confidant of the nominee. You are the chief liaison with the Hill, but also the chief liaison within the administration. You are an enforcer, but you are also a negotiator."

Duberstein said the job of guiding Roberts should not change because he has been nominated for chief justice. "I don't recall that there would be any distinction," he said.