Filibusters were exceedingly rare before 1970, due to their being so painful, requiring Senators to actually keep speaking 24x7 with every other Senator required to endure this physically demanding marathon, with no other Senate business able to be done in the meantime.
But in 1970, Sen Majority Leader Mike Mansfield changed the rules to allow "virtual filibusters" that didn't require anything more strenuous than a minority declaring a Filibuster Lite against some bill. At that point, the filibuster was declared to have taken place with the minority's stamina having overcome the majority's stamina, and the bill was now dead. So it was all over in a few seconds instead of days or weeks. Ie a complete wimp-out. And the frequency of filibusters exploded from approx 1 per year, to close to once per week.
McConnell has the right to undo what his predecessor arbitrarily did 48 years ago, and restore the original filibuster. Let this endurance test commence. What better place for Senators - both Dem & GOP - to spend the next few weeks at Christmas & New Years, than at their desks , 1000s/100s of miles fron their families, having the Greater Washington DC White Pages Phonebook being read to them in its entirety yet again, by a 'Rat Senator.
Perhaps McConnell, after enough days, can announce that the Democrats must choose between either a REAL Filibuster, or else the Nuke Option.
I am not a lawyer, but I have a mind and can read. I have a copy of the US Constitution and refer to it from time to time. In this layman’s eyes the Senate filibuster rule is contrary to the word and spirit of the Constitution. What say ye???