ESTRADA UPDATE: At least two Senators — Senators Durbin and Kennedy — have now asked Estrada some follow-up questions, and he has answered them. Read the questons and answers here.

Estrada answers many, maybe even most, of the questions in a very straightforward manner. The remaining questions are variations of: “How would you rule on such-and-such case?” — the kind of question that nominees never answer. These questions were specifically designed to elicit a response that Durbin and Kennedy could trot out to support a phony claim that Estrada is still not being forthcoming. Even with respect to these questions, Estrada’s answers are thoughtful, and designed to give as much information as can appropriately be given. The answers are much more thoughtful and revealing than “I won’t say.”

Watch to see how these questions and answers are characterized by Democrats. If you read the questions and answers, and then listen to the Democratic spin, I am confident you will be amazed at the extent to which the Democrats will lie and distort.

By the way, Republicans were going to force a vote on cloture (ending the filibuster) today. No word yet on the outcome, although we know it in advance.