The only controversy regarding Miguel Estrada is his race.
Senators have supported other non-Hispanic judicial nominees with less qualifications and experience. So the only difference here is that they can’t support an independent minded and well qualified Hispanic.
Not qualified? ABA disagrees.
The American Bar Association, which Democrat Senators referred to as the “gold standard” for judicial nominees unanimously rated Estrada “well qualified”, their highest possible rating.
Not enough experience? A double standard for Hispanics.
Five of the eight judges currently serving on the D.C. Circuit had no previous judicial experience when appointed. That includes two of President Clinton’s nominees, Merrick Garland, whose Justice Department record was quite similar to that of Miguel Estrada, and David Tatel. In addition, Judge Harry Edwards had no prior judicial experience when he was nominated by President Carter in 1979, and he was younger and had less experience than Estrada.
A conservative ideologue? Tell that to Clinton’s appointees.
Prominent Democrats including Ron Klain, the former Chief of Staff of Vice President Gore; Clinton’s Solicitor Generals Seth Waxman and Drew Days III; Robert Litt, Associate Deputy Attorney General in the Criminal Division; and Randolph Moss, Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel have all praised Miguel Estrada for his brilliance, compassion, fairness and respect for precedent. Would these prominent Democrats support a conservative ideologue? Of course not.
Not Hispanic enough? That’s news to the Hispanic community.
Why then would the overwhelming majority of national Hispanic organizations enthusiastically support his nomination? That’s not only absurd, it’s insulting. It would be an ironic travesty of justice for any member of the US Senate — a body without a single Hispanic member — to vote against Mr. Estrada with the excuse that he is a Hispanic in name only or that he does not understand or represent the values of our community. Not a single membership-based Hispanic organization has opposed Estrada.
(Partial List of Hispanic Organizations Supporting Miguel Estrada) League of United Latin Americans Citizens, Hispanic National Bar Association, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans, The Latino Coalition, Mexican American Grocers Association, Hispanic Contractors Association, Interamerican College of Physicians & Surgeons, American G.I. Forum, Federation of Mayors of Puerto Rico, Casa De Sinaloense, Cuban American National Foundation, Hispanic Business Roundtable, Cuban Liberty Council, Congregacion Cristiana y Misionera “Fe y Alabanza”, MANA - a National Latina Organization, Nueva Esperanza, Cuban American Voters National Community, Puerto Rican American Foundations…
Paid for by The Latino Coalition. For more information please visit www.TheLatinoCoalition.com.