Bush of judicial nominee: 'Give the man a vote'
WASHINGTON (CNN) --Citing a 15 percent vacancy rate in the United States' regional appeals courts, President Bush Saturday urged the Senate to stop blocking votes on his judicial nominees.
"We face a vacancy crisis in the federal courts, made worse by senators who block votes on qualified nominees," Bush said in his weekly radio address.
Bush cited the Senate's recent blocking of his nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Miguel Estrada, whom Bush described as "exceptional" and "impeccable."
Democratic opponents believe Estrada's refusal to answer questions and provide other information during his confirmation hearing blocks their ability to judge his fitness for the judicial seat.
Estrada, 42, was nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by Bush in May 2001.
To his supporters, he is an American success story.
"He came to America from Honduras as a teenager, speaking little English," Bush said. "Within a few years, he had graduated [with] high honors from Columbia College and Harvard Law School."
Last week, Democratic opponents launched a filibuster to block a vote on his nomination. Republicans have enough votes to approve Estrada's nomination, but not enough to block the filibusters.
Democrats insist their opposition had nothing to do with Estrada's judicial philosophy and more to do with Estrada's not answering questions during his hearing about his opinion on several key court cases of the past.
"If this Senate decides that we cannot ask a nominee to the federal court a question as basic as his views on our Constitution, then we have been transformed into a rubber stamp," Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said last week.
Bush noted that Estrada's nomination would make him the first person of Latin American descent to serve on the D.C. appeals court.
"He would break through a barrier that has stood for too long," the president said. "Democrats are stalling Miguel Estrada's nomination while they search in vain for a reason to reject him.
"Let each senator vote as he or she thinks best, but give the man a vote."
But the Congressional Hispanic Caucus slammed Bush's plug for a Latin American first.
"Where was the outrage that we have heard from some senators over the stalling of Enrique Moreno, Jorge Rangel, Christine Arguello and Richard Paez?" said the caucus chair, Rep. Ciro D. Rodriguez, D-Texas. "These are but a few of the Clinton Latino judicial nominees who languished for years."
Rodriguez said the Senate has a Constitutional right to hear the facts of Estrada's views.
"Republicans must realize that there are other highly qualified Hispanics who are not ashamed to discuss their views and are proud of their past legal stances that could fill this seat," he said. "Or, perhaps they don't realize this because they refuse to earnestly invest in the Hispanic community, and are happy with a mute nominee."
-----------------------------------------
Yes...where were the complaints when the GOP Congress stalled every Clinton judge nomination? They did it on purpose, hoping they'd get a GOP President after Clinton, so they could stack the courts with Republican judges. Yet another reason not to trust the Republican Party.
Melon
WASHINGTON (CNN) --Citing a 15 percent vacancy rate in the United States' regional appeals courts, President Bush Saturday urged the Senate to stop blocking votes on his judicial nominees.
"We face a vacancy crisis in the federal courts, made worse by senators who block votes on qualified nominees," Bush said in his weekly radio address.
Bush cited the Senate's recent blocking of his nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Miguel Estrada, whom Bush described as "exceptional" and "impeccable."
Democratic opponents believe Estrada's refusal to answer questions and provide other information during his confirmation hearing blocks their ability to judge his fitness for the judicial seat.
Estrada, 42, was nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by Bush in May 2001.
To his supporters, he is an American success story.
"He came to America from Honduras as a teenager, speaking little English," Bush said. "Within a few years, he had graduated [with] high honors from Columbia College and Harvard Law School."
Last week, Democratic opponents launched a filibuster to block a vote on his nomination. Republicans have enough votes to approve Estrada's nomination, but not enough to block the filibusters.
Democrats insist their opposition had nothing to do with Estrada's judicial philosophy and more to do with Estrada's not answering questions during his hearing about his opinion on several key court cases of the past.
"If this Senate decides that we cannot ask a nominee to the federal court a question as basic as his views on our Constitution, then we have been transformed into a rubber stamp," Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said last week.
Bush noted that Estrada's nomination would make him the first person of Latin American descent to serve on the D.C. appeals court.
"He would break through a barrier that has stood for too long," the president said. "Democrats are stalling Miguel Estrada's nomination while they search in vain for a reason to reject him.
"Let each senator vote as he or she thinks best, but give the man a vote."
But the Congressional Hispanic Caucus slammed Bush's plug for a Latin American first.
"Where was the outrage that we have heard from some senators over the stalling of Enrique Moreno, Jorge Rangel, Christine Arguello and Richard Paez?" said the caucus chair, Rep. Ciro D. Rodriguez, D-Texas. "These are but a few of the Clinton Latino judicial nominees who languished for years."
Rodriguez said the Senate has a Constitutional right to hear the facts of Estrada's views.
"Republicans must realize that there are other highly qualified Hispanics who are not ashamed to discuss their views and are proud of their past legal stances that could fill this seat," he said. "Or, perhaps they don't realize this because they refuse to earnestly invest in the Hispanic community, and are happy with a mute nominee."
-----------------------------------------
Yes...where were the complaints when the GOP Congress stalled every Clinton judge nomination? They did it on purpose, hoping they'd get a GOP President after Clinton, so they could stack the courts with Republican judges. Yet another reason not to trust the Republican Party.
Melon
The Democrats are really ticking me off 
