[SolomoninSouthDakota]

"Tom Harkin (D-IA) "Have the guts to come out and vote up or down….And once and for all, put behind us this filibuster procedure on nominations." (Congressional Record, June 22, 1995, S8861)"

I am lost here. If we say now that the current demonrat filibustering is unprecedented (with the exception of Fortas) then what is Tom Harkin speaking in this quote.
In addition, are not most of the quotes you cite actually concerned with the process the Republicans were using in not advancing their nominees names to the Senate (I believe after they had actually passed Committee)? As such the cited statements do not seem to relevant then to the current filibustering. Admittedly, I see some that do refer to hypothetical filibustering and those would be relevant.

[Nita Nupress]

I can't answer your questions. Maybe someone will come along who can.