After an outrageous delay of 28 months, judge Miguel Estrada asked President Bush to withdraw his nomination for a seat on a federal appeals court.
Estrada had received the highest grade from the American Bar Association, which democrats and some republicans have used as a measurement for one's fitness to high courts. Not this time. Though a majority of senators favored Estrada, it takes 60 votes to break the filibuster of most of the democrats.
Liberals have advanced their political agenda mostly through the courts and they are determined that no one, like Estrada, who they fear believes in the Constitution and not making law, will be able to decide important cases.
Liberal democrats are so dependent on the special interest groups - from pro-abortionists to the gay rights movement - they will do anything to keep anyone off the bench who does not believe as they do.
As President Bush said, this is a shameful day for the Senate.
But shame is something most politicians rarely feel about anything.
I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.
