New Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Orrin Hatch has scheduled a session

for Friday morning in which the committee is expected to vote on the appeals

court nomination of Miguel Estrada. Estrada, viewed as a rising star in

Republican legal circles, was targeted by Democrats last year, when they

controlled the committee. He was given a hearing last September but never a

vote in the committee. If Republicans, who now control the committee, bring

Estrada’s name up for a vote Friday, it is possible that Democrats will

exercise their privilege to delay the vote for one week, meaning that a vote

will instead be held next week.