The Democratic minority has been advancing preposterous positions for so long that much of Washington is apparently numb to their excesses. The standard for accepting a judicial nominee before the Democrats changed the rules during Judge Robert Bork's Supreme Court nomination was proven knowledge of the law by a person of proven integrity -- that was it. Ideology did not matter. Ethnicity did not matter. America was governed by the rule of law, and whether a judge was a Republican or a Spanish-speaking Japanese-American, the judge had to apply the law as the legislature passed that law. By politicizing the judiciary, the Democrats are transforming the rule of law into the rule of judges unaccountable to the electorate or even to the language of the law.
It is time for the Republicans to get tough with these bullies. For two years, Estrada's life has been held in suspended animation. He has no idea what he will be doing in the future until the Republicans either withdraw his nomination or overwhelm Democratic partisanship.
The Republicans are the majority party. They can deny appropriations to every state with a Democratic Senate delegation -- for instance, New York and California. Let those state's senators explain to their constituencies why their states are being starved for funds because Schumer demands that the president nominate Democrats to the judiciary. The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration can deny Democrats who obstruct the judicial nominating process office space, budget allotments and their beloved hideaway offices. The committee can cut back the obstructionists' parking privileges and reallocate them. I say give Schumer a parking spot over by the Supreme Court or out in the suburbs. A walk to the office would do him good.
At some point, the mistreatment of judicial nominees really ought to end. It is an impossible proposition to insist that the Senate majority nominate judges that hold to the politics of the Senate minority. Moreover, it is an injustice to keep a perfectly honorable American's life in limbo merely because he is willing to serve on the federal bench, even if he is coy about his ethnic background. Sen. Leahy, are you listening?