Here is a news account of the judicial confirmation hearing today of Miguel Estrada.

For an account from a lawyer's point of view, check out How Appealing where Howard Bashman has been meticulously chronicling the hearing all day.

Actually, we think we prefer Estrada to O'Connell. We say "think" because there's scarce information on either of their views on criminal law issues. For now, we are content to be on the sidelines on Estrada and O'Connell as individual appointees, although we are definitely of the opinion that the President does not have a right to flood the judiciary with such far right-wing ideologists, particularly if there is any indication that they will become judicial activists--deciding cases based upon their conservative views rather than the law. And the Republicans, Hatch in particular, are being so disingenous about the confirmation process--see our post earlier today or last night quoting Law Professor Jeff Cooper on this.