Republicans accuse Senate Democrats of "political hate crime"
Miguel Estrada withdraws himself from consideration to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, second in importance only to the Supreme Court, after trying for two years to get confirmation. He would have been the first Hispanic to serve there and it is well known that George W. was hoping to also install the first Hispanic Supreme Court judge in order to appeal to the Hispanic vote.
Democrats challenged his nomination by the Bush White House since he was unwilling to come clean on his views on abortion etc. according to this New York Times story (registration required). The Democrats. although in the minority, were able to prevent confirmation votes by "threatening to hold an extended debate or filibuster, which can only be ended by 60 votes. Republicans, with 51 votes, were unable [in this case] to attract the support of the nine Democrats needed to break the filibuster."
Senator John Cornyn told reporters that Hispanic voters in his state of Texas would certainly question why the first appeals court nominee in history to be blocked from having a direct floor vote on his nomination was of Hispanic heritage.
When he was pressed if he was asserting that Democrats blocked the Estrada nomination in part because of his ethnic heritage, Mr. Cornyn declined to say if that was what he meant to imply.
..."Senator Charles E. Schumer, a New York Democrat who helped lead the opposition to Mr. Estrada, said: "The implication that anyone has blocked this because of Mr. Estrada's background is cheap and low. The Republicans can't seem to win the argument on the merits so they resort to below-the-belt tactics."