The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 2 of 2)

But the Estrada nomination, and how Frist and others fight for it, is giving Republicans a taste of the what is bound to be a much more contentious and higher stakes struggle once President Bush makes his first Supreme Court nomination.

Conservatives fear that a bloody Estrada fight will scare the Bush White House away from nominating a true conservative to the high court simply to avoid what could be an election-year controversy.

"We have to get Estrada through, if for no other reason than it's the right thing to do," says the Justice Department staffer. "Let's get him seated for all the right reasons, not because he can help us hurt Democrats. If we do it that way, we're no better than they are."

p> THE PELOSIAN GUARD br> House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi must have difficulty with words judging by the number of communications staffers she's brought on board. Last Friday came word that she'd hired Melissa Skolfield , formerly an assistant secretary for public affairs at Health and Human Services under Donna Shalala . Skolfield will join three other press/communications senior staffers, all of whom earn in excess of $100,000. Beyond these four communications experts, Pelosi also has two deputy communications staffers working in her personal office and on her leadership staff, respectively. /p>

Now, beyond the six press people working directly and only for her, Pelosi has been rumored to be in the market for at least two to three other "communications consultants" for her leadership office. Former Clinton press secretary Mike McCurry was rumored to be in the running for the six-figure contract, along with several other former Clinton press office staffers.

When all the numbers are added up, Pelosi may be budgeting as much as $1 million for communications advice, speechwriting and media relations. And just for her.

So far, Pelosi has earned barely a passing grade for her TV appearances and public comments as leader. "Maybe she really does need that much help," says a Democratic House member. "But that says more about us than about her. If she was that bad a communicator why did we ever elect her to be our voice? We're paying for it now, I guess, in more ways than one."

topics:
Nancy Pelosi, Religion, Supreme Court, NATO