Tomorrow’s Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Miguel Estrada‘s appointment to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, the second most powerful court in the country, is the first of what should be a series of brutal showdowns over rightwing judical activists being appointed by the Bush Administration to the federal bench.

A member of the Federalist Society, a board member of the arch-conservative Center for the Community Interest, and a very partisan Republican, Estrada is widely considered a conservative ideologue who is unwilling to distinguish his personal views from what the law requires.

A diverse coalition of civil rights, women’s rights, environmental, pro-choice, worker, consumer and disability rights organizations are all working to oppose Estrada’s nomination. The Feminist Majority’s statement and ActionAlert is particularly effective.

Urge your senators to vote no on Estrada’s nomination to the DC Circuit Court. You can email your elected reps or call your Senators in their Washington, DC office by asking for them specifically at 202-224-3121. And see the Alliance for Justice‘s Independent Judiciary site for much more information about Estrada and other upcoming Bush Court nominees, including Charles Pickering, Jeffrey Sutton and Priscilla Owen.