Supreme court nominee judge Samuel Alito, left, meets Monday with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in Washington. Photo by The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Unlike his appearance with Harriet Miers four weeks ago, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada appeared restrained when he posed for photographers Monday with Samuel Alito.

Reid put his right hand on Alito's left shoulder and announced they had just completed a meeting of about 10 minutes in the senator's office.

Reid said he was looking forward to Alito's confirmation hearings; the judge thanked him and the photo opportunity was over.

There was none of the praise Reid offered for Miers, whom he had recommended to Bush.

Earlier in the day, Reid issued a statement saying the Senate "needs to find out if the man replacing Miers is too radical for the American people."

Reid criticized President Bush for not consulting him and other Senate Democrats before nominating Alito, a judge in the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Alito would replace retiring justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Reid complained his nomination would make the Supreme Court less diverse.

"President Bush would leave the Supreme Court looking less like America and more like an old boys club," Reid said.

Reid said he looked forward to meeting Alito "and learning why those who want to pack the court with judicial activists are so much more enthusiastic about him than they were about Harriet Miers."

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who was not impressed with Miers after meeting with her last week, issued a cautious statement about Alito.

"I look forward to learning more about Judge Alito's stance on the role of the Supreme Court and how the Constitution should be interpreted," Ensign said.

"This is one of the most important and solemn votes a senator can make and I intend to learn as much as I can about Judge Alito before deciding which way to vote."