The American Spectator

p> RIGHT WHERE THEY WANT HIM br> Despite seemingly treading water on the Miguel Estrada nomination to the federal appeals bench, the White House feels it is gaining ground and support for the nomination and even hopes to extend the debate a bit longer. /p>

“We’re winning in a way,” says a White House political staffer. “We’ve firmed up three Democratic votes this week, and the public perception is that Democrats are playing a race card of sorts against this man. As things stand, we can only gain with more debate.”

Several weeks ago, it appeared that Estrada was stalled and that the White House might pull the nomination back. Others inside the White House, according to sources, were mulling whether a “leak” of several Estrada memos from his when he served in the U.S. Soliciter General’s office might not help push things along. Such documents have been a point of debate for Democrats, who have been demanding numerous documents written by Estrada, because they say he doesn’t have a large enough backlog of written opinion for them to evaluate where he stands. Obviously, nothing the White House or Justice Department might have leaked would have been damaging to the nomination. But in the end, the decision was made to let Estrada ride the Republican majority in the Senate, such as it is.

President Bush has been steadily supporting Estrada, targeting speeches and comments to the Hispanic community regarding one of their own. Thus far, independent Hispanic interest groups have backed Estrada, while groups bound to organized labor or Democrat-controlled interest groups have rallied against him.

As White House strategists currently see it, it’s a no lose proposition. If for some reason the Estrada nomination is pulled or defeated, Republicans feel confident they can build on doubts in the Hispanic community that the Democrats aren’t really their party. And if Estrada is confirmed, it shows conservatives they have a president willing to go farther than Bill Clinton was ever willing to go for his nominees.

p> SHOW IT TOOMEY br> If for no other reason than it might push Sen. Arlen Specter a bit to the right on some votes, conservatives should be rejoicing at word that