(WASHINGTON, DC) - Miguel Estrada, the first Hispanic nominated to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, today withdrew his name from consideration. His nomination, blocked by Democrats for two and a half years, was the first judicial nominee to a Circuit Court in the history of the United States to be filibustered. Democrats refused to allow an up or down vote in the U.S. Senate on his nomination.

"The blame for this shameful turn of events lies exclusively at the feet of Senator Tom Daschle, Senate Democrats and their puppetmaster, Ralph Neas of People for the American Way," said Kay Daly, president of the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary. "They treated Miguel Estrada and the United States Constitution with contempt. No one can blame Mr. Estrada for wanting to get back to some semblance of a life."

Miguel Estrada, a Honduran immigrant, was nominated by President Bush to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals on May 9, 2001.

"The fact of the matter is that the Democrats are terrified that Estrada could be nominated to the Supreme Court," said Daly. "So the rule of law didn't matter, his superb qualifications didn't matter, his exemplary legal career arguing 15 cases in front of the Supreme Court didn't matter either. All that mattered to these political hacks was keeping the Miguel Estrada from the bench. The cost? The message to those immigrants who are nominated for the federal bench is heartbreaking. Your accomplishments and legal acumen matter less than your fidelity to the extra-Constitutional Daschle Democrats and the extremist liberal organizations. It is appalling."

"This should be the last time that the Left keeps one of President Bush's judicial nominees from serving his country." said Daly. "When an extraordinary man like Miguel Estrada is denied an up or down vote for a seat in the federal judiciary, it is time to take the gloves off."