Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist needs to be bolder. Never in American history has a nominee to the Court of Appeals been filibustered. In light of this departure from Senate traditions, Frist must act. Instead of allowing the Democrats to conduct a filibuster from home, their district, vacation, or where ever they chose to go, Frist must make them conduct the filibuster Strom Thurmond-style.
Make the Democrats take to the floor. Day and night, a nonstop filibuster. Frist should make the filibuster the only item on the Senate agenda, allowing no other business to take place until Estrada gets an up or down vote on the Senate floor.
Combined with the pressure already being placed on Democrats by the President and Hispanic groups, the traditional filibuster will force the Democrats to action.
Democrats will run the risk of having to explain to the voters why they have allowed the Senate to shut down over a well qualified appeals court nominee filibuster.
As seen during the Gingrich Revolution, the public is not happy when their government shuts down for partisan purposes.
Frist and the rest of the senate Republicans need to act and act now. The time is right to force the Democrats to take action. Miguel Estrada deserves a floor vote and the Democrats need to learn the cost of obstructionism.
http://www.washingtondispatch.com/article_4555.shtml