WARMING UP FOR THE MAIN ACT:

Deadlock Over Estrada Deepens: White House Rejects Democrats' Request for Nominee's Memos (Helen Dewar, February 13, 2003, Washington Post)

In another development, Bush last night nominated a member of former Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr's team to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, based in St. Louis.

The nominee, Steven M. Colloton of Iowa, was a law clerk for Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. Democrats had wanted Bush to nominate Missouri Supreme Court Judge Ronnie White, a witness for the opposition during Attorney General John D. Ashcroft's confirmation battle.

After they pick up some more Senate seats in '04, it would be enormously satisfying to see the Administration nominate Starr to the Supreme Court.

MORE:
Landrieu disavows Estrada ads (Stephen Dinan, 2/13/03, THE WASHINGTON TIMES)

Sen. Mary L. Landrieu, who is now opposing the nomination of Miguel Estrada to a federal appeals court judgeship, ran Spanish-language radio ads during her campaign for a December runoff election saying she supported his nomination.

The ads, which ran on a New Orleans radio station for almost two weeks, praised Mrs. Landrieu's outreach to Hispanics and specifically noted Mr. Estrada.

"Mary Landrieu also supported the candidacy of the Honduran Miguel Estrada for the federal court of appeals," the ad said, according to an English translation provided by the Republican National Committee.

In a statement, Mrs. Landrieu acknowledged the ads ran.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 13, 2003 8:00 PM