The chances of a Democratic filibuster grew even more remote last night when a spokeswoman for Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, a pivotal moderate Republican, began putting out word tonight that Ms. Snowe had decided to oppose such a move. Ms. Snowe's decision greatly decreases the already-dwindling chances that the Democrats could successfully block Judge Alito.
She was one of seven Republicans who helped break a logjam over judicial nominations earlier this year in part by blocking their party's leaders from changing the Senate rules to prevent such filibusters. She is the third of the seven to say they would oppose a filibuster over Judge Alito and thus back the rule change, ensuring the Republican leaders have the votes necessary to confirm the judge in any event. The other two are Senator Mike DeWine of Ohio and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
wait, she said she would use the constitutional option to break a hypothetical filibuster or just that she doesn't believe there should be a filibuster?
Well, we now have two SCOTUS justices with military experience. Guess who?