If it already isn’t taking place, there is a conference call scheduled this morning among Senate Democrats to discuss their Alito hearings strategy. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid was said by aides to be livid that staff went public yesterday with his party’s plans for a one-week delay. We should start hearing about the call’s content by lunchtime.

As we reported yesterday, the one week delay is one of several strategies Reid is considering deploying in the Alito fight. In the past couple of days Reid has spoken with DNC chair Howard Dean, as well as other outside Democratic activists, and was told that they wanted a fight. That they had raised more than $15 million to fight Supreme Court nominations, and that they were ready to spend it over the next month.

Not surprisingly, Sen. Patrick Leahy has no recall of promising his colleague Sen. Arlen Specter that he will play nice during the confirmation process.