Miguel Estrada on the Honduran Non-CoupMike Rappaport

Miguel Estrada, a native of Honduras, but now a US lawyer, provides some more information about the Honduran non-coup.  The US response is looking more and more absurd. 

By the way, you may remember Miguel Estrada.  He was nominated by George Bush for the D.C. Circuit, with the strong expectation that Bush would put him on the Supreme Court at his first opportunity.  Estrada then would have been the first Hispanic justice.  The Democrats, however, filibustered his nomination and after more than two years, Estrada withdrew his nomination.

Obama and the Democrats will, no doubt, receive significant political credit from the Hispanic community for appointing the first Hispanic justice.  But the Democrats (putting Obama to the side, since he was not in the Senate then) should not really receive the credit.  They stopped the appointment of Estrada precisely because he was slated to become the first justice.

Once again, the centrality of political ignorance rears its ugly head.  If Hispanics voters knew more about the Democrats' behavior, they might reduce the credit that they give to the Democrats.  But, alas, most Hispanic voters (as well as all other voters) either have forgotten about Estrada or never knew about him in the first place.

Comments

[Johnny]

So the military breaking into the presidents house in the middle of the night and forcing him onto a plane shortly before the congress appoints a new president is not a coup? What else would you call it? If walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it's probably a coup.

[Mike Rappaport]

The military was following a order of the Supreme Court that the President be arrested. That President had already taken several illegal actions and had defied by the Supreme Court and the legislature. Not arresting him would have amounted to a coup!

[Mark Seecof]

Perhaps you meant to write "Estrada repudiated his nomination." Or perhaps "asked President Bush to withdraw his nomination."