Conservatives prepared to spend on court fight

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Conservative groups are eager to spend their $20 million war chest to support Judge John G. Roberts Jr.'s nomination to the Supreme Court, but the main liberal groups have not decided whether to wage an all-out fight over the nomination.

Progress for America, which has raised $18 million to defend the nominee, released its first television commercial yesterday calling for "a fair up-or-down vote" for Judge Roberts.

"Judge Roberts is really the left's worst nightmare as a nominee because he's an individual we all feel we want as a justice on the court, but just as much as we want him as our neighbor," said Benjamin L. Ginsberg, a lawyer for both of President Bush's campaigns and an adviser to the group.

Republican strategists had worried that if Mr. Bush had selected a nominee less appealing to conservatives -- such as Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales -- the conservative groups would not be willing to spend money defending him.

But with Mr. Bush's choice of Judge Roberts, the conservative groups "are willing to go to the mat for this guy," one strategist said.

Progress for America's first television ad will run on national cable news networks and in Washington during the weekend political talk shows. The group will run radio ads and Internet ad banners and plans to target 20 states with a grass-roots program.

In addition to the group's $18 million bank account, the Judicial Confirmation Network also has raised $3 million to defend the nominee.

Wendy E. Long, counsel to the confirmation network, said it can go still higher if need be.

"Some of our big donors have said to us, 'Whatever it takes,'" she said.

Most liberal groups, meanwhile, have expressed serious concerns about Judge Roberts, but haven't taken a public stance of opposition.