THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE--A LATINO WITH A GAVEL:

Hispanic nominee terrifies Democrats (Ruben Navarrette Jr., 2/13/2003, Boston Globe)

[W]ho's afraid of Miguel Estrada?

Why Senate Democrats, of course. Why else would they have come out with guns blazing, turning the routine process of confirming an appellate court judge into a shootout at the O.K. Corral? With the exceptions of Justice Clarence Thomas and a few others, most Supreme Court nominations didn't even send this much lead flying.

In threatening to filibuster the nomination, Democrats accuse Estrada of being an inexperienced ''stealth nominee'' whose views on hot-button issues are still unknown despite their best attempts to drag them out. And yet, at the same time, they seem confident that his views -- if they were known -- would be too extreme for most Americans.

Huh? You can't fault Democrats for the doubletalk. If they told you the truth, you'd lose what little respect you have left for them.

The truth is that Democrats want to make an example of Miguel Estrada, whose appointment to the bench could make Hispanic voters look more favorably on the Bush administration. They also want to send a message to the White House that when it comes to confirming federal judges, there are some things they simply will not tolerate. Apparently at the top of the list: Independent-minded Hispanic hotshots who don't go around thanking liberals for everything that the nominees have accomplished on their own. [...]

Of course, Democrats insist their opposition to Estrada has nothing to do with the fact that he is Hispanic. But that claim has nothing to do with reality. While it may not be fair to suggest Democrats are opposing Estrada just because he is Hispanic, it would be naive to think that they would oppose him as aggressively as they have if he were not Hispanic. [...]

If Estrada makes it onto the appellate court -- despite the best efforts of Senate Democrats to prevent it -- Hispanics might ask what the party of Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy has done for them lately.

That question--"What have you done for us lately?"--must give Terry McAuliffe night terrors, especially since even Donna Brazile has started to ask it aloud. Posted by Orrin Judd at February 22, 2003 11:42 AM