[Amelia]

I can see the point of a filibuster, but is going for 30 hours, and announcing in advance that it's only going to be 30 hours, going to do anything besides get attention?

Hopefully it will get enough attention to get the nominees voted on, but it does seem as if a real filibuster might be more effective.

I'm still trying to figure out why they needed all those cots if they were only planning to stay 30 hours.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I'm still trying to figure out why they needed all those cots if they were only planning to stay 30 hours.

I've heard some of those senators speak - believe me, the cots are there for a reason...

[not-alone]

Frist said today they might go longer

[maica]

but it does seem as if a real filibuster might be more effective.

A "real" filibuster is to prevent a vote from being brought to the floor when only a few Senators want to prevent it. In the case of these judge votes, there are 44 dems firmly committed to not letting the vote get to the floor.

What Senator Frist and crew have designed is 30 hours of attention to the obstructiveness of these 44 senators to allowing the rest of the senate to perform their consent/no consent vote on each of the nominees.

[deport]

This isn't a filibuster.... The majority doesn't have to filibuster anything.. They control the agenda of what's brought to the floor. Thus if they don't won't something up there they don't schedule it..... The filibuster is used by the minority to basically prohibit a vote on some item. This is a publiticy event for the home folks, red meat for the discontented, to get a little info in/on the record and finally call for the cloture votes on each nominee. I think the cloture vote notices have been filed at the desk.....

Cots aren't needed as they only need to schedule a few senators for the night time shift as long as collegiality reigns supreme and each is taking their 30 min turns.

[Darlin']

"I'm still trying to figure out why they needed all those cots if they were only planning to stay 30 hours"

LOL. Well, Senator Frist dangled the idea they could be there longer than 30 hrs.... BTW, Senator Frist is reputed to require only 3-4 hrs sleep each night. So the cots might be for his fellow pubbies. LOL