Will the Estrada obstruction by dems be an issue in '04?
These numbers say it will... Will repubs/Rove use it? Count on it...
From LatinoOpinions.com...
latinoopinions.com
Regardless of whether or not you are registered to vote, with which political party do you most closely identify?
Republican 22%
Democrat 47
Independent 16
Other 1
Don't know/Refused 14
Are you aware that more than two years ago, President Bush was the first president, from either party, to nominate a Latino, Miguel Estrada, to be the first Latino on the Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals, which is considered to be the second most important court in the country, and that Miguel Estrada has still not been confirmed by the U.S. Senate?
Yes 33%
No 65
Don't know/Refused 3
In your opinion, how important is it to the Latino community that Miguel Estrada is confirmed by the U.S. Senate and serves on the Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals?
Very important 60%
Somewhat important 20
Not very important 2
Not at all important 6
Don't know/Refused 12
Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with each of the following statements:
Every nominee to a federal court should be given
the chance for a yes-or-no vote, regardless of
whether or not they are ultimately confirmed:
Strongly agree 60%
Somewhat agree 25
Somewhat disagree 4
Strongly disagree 3
Don't know/Refused 8
It is important that Latinos are represented on the
federal courts, where some of the most important
decisions in our government are made:
Strongly agree 78%
Somewhat agree 17
Somewhat disagree 2
Strongly disagree 1
Don't know/Refused 3
Now I'm going to read you a list of statements about Miguel Estrada. For each one, please tell me whether this would make you more or less likely to support his nomination to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Miguel Estrada is an immigrant from Honduras:
Much more likely 41%
Somewhat more likely 16
Somewhat less likely 2
Much less likely 2
No difference 34
Don't know/Refused 5
Miguel Estrada came to this country as a teenager,
learned English, and graduated from Harvard
University with the highest honors:
Much more likely 66%
Somewhat more likely 18
Somewhat less likely 1
Much less likely 1
No difference 11
Don't know/Refused 4
Miguel Estrada has been rated 'Unanimously Well
Qualified' by the American Bar Association. This is
the best possible ranking a person can receive:
Much more likely 63%
Somewhat more likely 21
Somewhat less likely 3
Much less likely 2
No difference 8
Don't know/Refused 3
Miguel Estrada has argued 15 cases before the U.S.
Supreme Court, and won the majority of them:
Much more likely 63%
Somewhat more likely 19
Somewhat less likely 2
Much less likely 1
No difference 10
Don't know/Refused 6
Miguel Estrada would be the first Hispanic to serve
on the Washington, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals:
Much more likely 59%
Somewhat more likely 20
Somewhat less likely 2
Much less likely 1
No difference 12
Don't know/Refused 6
Miguel Estrada was nominated by the president and
has been waiting to be confirmed for more than
two years:
Much more likely 50%
Somewhat more likely 19
Somewhat less likely 3
Much less likely 3
No difference 19
Don't know/Refused 7
Knowing all this, do you believe that Miguel Estrada deserves to be approved by the U.S. Senate to serve on the Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals?
Yes 87%
No 5
Don't know/Refused 8
Regardless of whether or not you believe Miguel Estrada should serve on the Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals, do you believe the Senate should at least vote on Miguel Estrada's nomination? This would only mean that senators would vote "yes" or "no," for or against Miguel Estrada's nomination.
Yes 88%
No 6
Don't know/Refused 6
Conducted 5/25-28/03 for the Committee for Justice; surveyed 800 Hispanic adults; margin of error +/-3.4% (release, 6/11). A response of * indicates less than 0.5 percent.
reviewjournal.com
The issue is not bigger because Democrats have no interest in making it an issue," said Ruben Hofliger, editor of El Tiempo Libre. Hofliger predicted "a bigger than expected backlash for Democrats" if Estrada's nomination is killed.
"The Hispanic community is starting to look at the Republicans as not the bad guys that Democrats usually paint them," he said.
"The Hispanic community in Las Vegas is not very involved in politics. It's sad but it's true," said Alejandro Romo, news director for the Las Vegas affiliate of Univision.
The Republican Leadership Council bought time on the affiliate for ads criticizing Reid. Romo said the commercials ran two or three times, but were pulled by the station after Reid complained. Reid said he was not aware of that, but added it sounded like something his staff may have done.
Reid spokeswoman Tessa Hafen said later Reid was trying to find out who may have called the station, adding it would be against office policy to seek to have unfriendly commercials killed.
washtimes.com
A Democratic filibuster to prevent an up-or-down vote on U.S. Appeals Court nominee Miguel Estrada is also fueling a backlash in the Hispanic and Latino communities. The news media have given the Estrada story little attention lately but the GOP has been flogging the story for all its worth in the less-visible, under-the-radar Hispanic media.
However, the Democrats' political troubles run much deeper than this.
House Democrats, who lost their majority control in 1994, have been in decline for the last 22 years. Their numbers fell from 273 in 1980 to 267 in 1990 to 207 in 2002. Senate Democrats saw their seats shrink from 58 to 48 during this same period. |
