I won't accept the argument that Miguel Estrada is not Hispanic enough. At the same time, I will not accept the Republican's argument that Estrada should be appointed a judge simply because he's Hispanic. Either way, race is being used to further a political agenda that has nothing to do with race, and yet again, the Dems lose no matter what they do.

Will the Republican assertion that the filibuster of Estrada's confirmation leave a bad taste in the mouths of voters prove true? Unfortunately, yes, it will. Estrada is qualified for the job and has the support of the Bar. Democrats haven't presented a single good reason not to appoint him. They're asking for evidence that is priviledged. Instead of debating the war in Iraq, Medicare, and those ridiculous hydrogen-powered cars, the Democrats spent all their time filibustering. Yet again, Tom Dachle leads a squadron to battle a windmill.

Don't get me wrong -- there are plenty of reasons not to vote for Estrada. He kept a tight lip during his hearing with the Judicial Committee, especially when asked about his position on abortion or gay rights. He doesn't support many human rights and environmental groups, including legal defense and education funds for Hispanics. Even his former supervisor won't even give him a good reference. (source)

The Democrats have screwed up so much in the past year that anything they do in opposition to the President makes them look bad. The nomination of Estrada was a cunning tactic by King George -- they won't vote him in, and I'll appeal for sympathy from Hispanics -- and the Democrats not only played into it but exacerbated the tactic's effect. The Democrats have to come up on the offensive if they are ever going to gain some headway against Bush and think about how the increasingly right-wing media is going to report what the Dems are doing.