Harry Reid: “The Bush administration has shown no interest in working with Senate Democrats to select nominees who could be approved…”

“The Bush administration has shown no interest in working with Senate Democrats to select nominees who could be approved by consensus, and has dug in its heels on its most controversial choices. At their confirmation hearings, judicial nominees have refused to answer questions about their views on legal issues. And Senate Republicans have rushed through the procedures on controversial nominees. Mr. Estrada embodies the White House's scorn for the Senate's role. Dubbed the 'stealth candidate,' he arrived with an extremely conservative reputation but almost no paper trail. He refused to answer questions, and although he had written many memorandums as a lawyer in the Justice Department, the White House refused to release them.”