Chicago Sun-Times editorial on Estrada

From "Estrada deserved better from the Democrats and the GOP":

So why did Senate Democrats use an unprecedented filibuster to effectively block the path of this "exceptionally well-qualified appellate advocate" (Seth Waxman, solicitor general under President Bill Clinton) to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia? Certainly not because, as they claimed, they weren't allowed access to confidential recommendations he made when he was assistant solicitor general. And not merely because he wouldn't answer questions about certain court cases. Estrada, who has withdrawn his name from consideration after two years of entanglements, became the first judicial nominee to be defeated by a filibuster--rather than the first Hispanic to sit on the court--because of odorous partisan politics.

More: Here's the WashPost editorial: "Victory for a Smear".