Ashcroft lobbies for Bush court nominee - Estrada needs support of at least 1 Democrat

WASHINGTON - In desperate need of just one Democrat to salvage President Bush's judicial nomination of Miguel Estrada, Republican politicians and some Hispanic advocacy groups on Tuesday lobbied Democrats to set aside partisan and ideological concerns and confirm the first Hispanic to the nation's second-highest court.

Attorney General John Ashcroft, who mostly has been quiet on judicial nominations this year, praised Mr. Estrada from the steps of the Supreme Court and called on senators "to rise above the bitterness of the past."

"Miguel Estrada's nomination is a testament to his talent, his perseverance and his intelligence. He's superbly qualified," Mr. Ashcroft said after a private meeting with judicial leaders to discuss court vacancies.

However, there is no evidence yet that Mr. Estrada, a Washington lawyer who was on Mr. Bush's legal team in the Florida recount battle two years ago, can get the support of any of the 10 Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Without approval from at least one Democrat, his nomination would fail.

Mr. Estrada will face questions Thursday from the Senate Judiciary Committee on whether he is qualified to sit on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, a steppingstone in the careers of three current Supreme Court justices and the court that sends more judges to the Supreme Court than any other.

The court currently has four vacancies and eight active judges: four Republicans and four Democrats. No one has been confirmed for the court in five years.

Dear President Bush,
With the Surpeme Court session getting ready to close, it may well be time for perhaps the most important domestic decision of your presidency: the appointment of a Supreme Court Justice(s). The main reason why I supported you in 2000 and why I wanted Daschle out of power in 02 (and 04) has to do with the courts. I want America courts to interpret law, not write law. During your presidential campaign you said Thomas and Scalia were your two model justices. Those are excellent models. The High Court needs more like them. Clarence Thomas recently said to students that the tough cases were when what he wanted to do was different from what the law said. And he goes by the law. This should be a model philosophy for our justices. Your father, President Bush lost his reelection campaign for 3 main reasosn, as far as I can see. 1. he broke the no new taxes pledge 2. David Souter 3. Clinton convinced people we were in a Bush recession (which we had already come out of by the time Clinton was getting sworn in)

I urge you to learn from all three of these: 1. on taxes, you're doing great. Awesome job on the tax cut. 2. good job so far on judicial appointments. I want to see more of a fight for Estrada, Owen, and Pickering, but I commend you on your nominations. 3. by staying engaged in the economic debate you'll serve yourself well

I have been thoroughly impressed with your handling of al Queida, Iraq, and terrorism. You have inspired confidence and have shown great leadership.

But I want to remind you that your Supreme Court pick(s) will be with us LONG after you have departed office. I urge you to avoid the tempation to find a "compromise" pick. Go for a Scalia or Thomas. Don't go for an O'Connor or Kennedy. To be specific, get someone who is pro-life. Roe v Wade is one of the worst court decisions I know of, and it's the perfect example of unrestrained judicial power.

I know the temptation will be tremendous on you to nominate a moderate. But remember who your true supporters are. I am not a important leader or politician. I am "simply" a citizen who has been an enthusiatic supporter of you. I am willing to accept compromise in many areas of government but I will watch your Court nomiantions extremely closely. What the Senate Dems are doing right now is disgusting, but as the President you have the bully pulpit to stop it. Democrats will back down if you turn up serious heat on them.

Moreover, I think public opinion is shifting towards the pro-life position. Dems will want you to nominate a moderate, but almost all will vote against you anyways. Pro-choice Repubs will likely still vote for you if you nominate a Scalia, after all, you campaigned on it. So Mr. President, I urge you to stick with your campaign statements and nominate justices who believe in judicial restraint, like Scalia and Thomas.

Happy Memorial Day and may God bless you and your family.

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