Now that is racial politics. I have never questioned his qualifications - have heard almost nothing about them except he is an immigrant who went to Harvard.
Just look at the title of this thread 'energize the HIspanic vote' - and that is not racial politics.
No moral high ground at all - just same dirty politics.
Good point. This thread is centering on the "race" aspect, because that is what the article is about. But that is only a small part of the Estrada story. And the Democrats have made that small part into a big part, by saying that Estrada is "not Hispanic enough."
There is plenty of other information available on Estrada, for anyone who cares to read it (or to listen to Republican Senators on C-Span.)
Right here, on Free Republic there is a trove of information, ....(almost all taken from published sources that almost anyone can read)
For example:Democrats Have No Good Reason for Blocking Estrada’s Confirmation
Estrada is the 42-year-old whom President Bush has selected for a spot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.An Ugly StallThe nominee was scrutinized by the American Bar Association and came out with the ABA’s highest possible grade—a unanimous rating of “well qualified.”
He is a former federal government attorney whose colleagues from that office have testified to Congress that Estrada would be an honest and fair judge.
On the personal side, Estrada has demonstrated a stunning ability to work hard and succeed. He came to the United States from Honduras at the age of 17, and later graduated with honors from Harvard Law School.
He clerked with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, then served as a federal prosecutor and eventually as an assistant to the solicitor general under Presidents Clinton and Bush.
In other words, this guy knows a thing or two about the law.
Then Estrada becomes a partner in a prestigious private law practice - yet finds the time to perform significant pro bono service, including some four hundred hours representing a death row inmate before the Supreme Court....Estrada delay just politicalAlso supporting him are numerous prominent Democrats, including President Clinton's solicitor general and Vice President Gore's counselor and chief of Staff.
Estrada immigrated to the United States at age 15 from Honduras. Jesuit educated, he was soon admitted to New York's Columbia College. Graduating with honors, he was accepted to Harvard Law School where he became the editor of the Law Review and again graduated with honors.A Fine Judicial Nominee
Estrada's litigation record is not that of a conservative ideologue. From 1992 to 1997 (three of those years during the first Clinton administration), Estrada was assistant to the U.S. solicitor general. For several years he represented the positions of a Democratic administration before the U.S. Supreme Court (including the United Mine Workers vs. Bagwell case, for which Acuña attempts to crucify him). During that time, Estrada also filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Clinton administration's siding with the National Organization for Women in NOW vs. Scheidler where the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the government's position that a law prohibiting the use of violence to deny individuals their civil rights could be applied to anti-abortion protesters.CONFIRM ESTRADA (Detailing his excellent qualifications)
During Estrada's subsequent career as a partner in one of the nation's preeminent law firms, he has built a reputation as one of the best appellate lawyers in the country.There really is a lot of information out there on Estrada. Here is his resume, as posted at the Department of Justice. It has been posted on FR, too.
| Birth: | September 25, 1961 | Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| Legal Residence: | Virginia | |
| Education: | 1979 - 1980 | State University of New York |
| 1980 - 1983 | Columbia College | |
| A.B. degree | ||
| 1983 - 1986 | Harvard Law School | |
| J.D. degree | ||
| Bar Admittance: | 1987 | New York |
| 1998 | District of Columbia | |
| Experience: | 1986 - 1987 | Law Clerk to Hon. Amalya L. Kearse |
| United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit | ||
| 1987 - 1988 | Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz | |
| Associate | ||
| 1988 - 1989 | Law Clerk to Hon. Anthony M. Kennedy | |
| Supreme Court of the United States | ||
| 1989 - 1990 | Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz | |
| 1992 | Associate | |
| 1990 - 1992 | United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York | |
| Assistant U.S. Attorney | ||
| 1992 - 1997 | U.S. Department of Justice Solicitor General’s Office | |
| Assistant to the Solicitor General | ||
| 1997 - present | Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP | |
| Of Counsel Attorney, 1997-99 | ||
| Partner, 2000-present |