Kerry's Many Vulnerabilities

The conventional wisdom states that tonight's debate is on Kerry's home court, and therefore, he has the advantage. But, there are many areas of vulnerability. One of them Kerry brought up himself, judicial nominations.

A leaked memo clearly described the Democrats' strategy on this issue, laying out a partisan agenda aimed most agressively at conservative minority judges. Kerry played along.

Leaked Democratic memos indicate that Mr. Estrada was targeted, in part, because, "he is Latino, and the White House seems to be grooming him for a Supreme Court appointment," and because, "we can't make the same mistake we made with Clarence Thomas." Judiciary Democrats, led by Sens. Edward Kennedy, Patrick Leahy and Richard Durbin, agreed to block or slow-walk particular nominees at the behest of liberal campaign donors, including the trial lawyers, the NAACP, and the national abortion providers' lobby. These Democrats decided, in advance of hearings, which nominees to block, and Democratic staffers characterized Bush nominees as "Nazis."