Conservatives members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, seeing a narrow window left for President Bush to appoint judges, are pressing Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) to use hardball tactics with Democrats who may be stalling confirmation votes.

But Specter, the senior Republican on Judiciary and a centrist, wants to avoid a clash with Democrats that could derail the committee’s legislative work. In his own words “there’s a lot going on,” such as patent reform legislation and a bill that would give bankruptcy courts more authority to deal with the growing mortgage crisis.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) doesn’t agree with that approach. Coburn is leading the charge for tougher tactics and made his case at a private meeting with Republican members of the Judiciary Committee two weeks ago to discuss their strategy on judges, said sources present.

“I said we ought to use whatever leverage we have to get it accomplished,” said Coburn, who declined to discuss what tactics he had in mind.

Specter may receive pressure from conservative activist groups as well. Last week nearly 20 organizations gathered at the offices of the Family Research Council, a pro-Christian values group, to discuss ways to speed up what they perceive as the slow pace of confirmations.

Conservatives are pushing especially hard for three pending nominees: Robert Conrad, Jr. and Steve Mathews, both nominees to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals; and Peter Keisler, a nominee to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Their nominations have been pending since last year.

The Senate has confirmed only six appellate court nominees so far in the 110th Congress. Observers are growing skeptical that the chamber will be able to confirm another nine in a politically charged election year.

Senate Democrats argue that they have confirmed circuit court nominees at a higher rate than Republicans did when they controlled the Senate.