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Thanks again for your patience and answers to my questions.

The Senate system sure is confusing to me. I usually can get it, but I was 0 for 4 in my comments before. My confusion was mainly about cloture - when it can happen - you said only to curtail debate, right?

I assume the nomination is already on the floor, since they have been debating. Each senator can speak twice in one day for no more than an hour, right? Is a "day" 24 hours, or can it last more than 24 hours?

So the challenge to Frist et al seems to be to try to end debate ASAP by keeping the Senate in session and exhausting the Dems. Maybe after Mardi Gras, I guess.

I assume the nomination is already on the floor, since they have been debating. Each senator can speak twice in one day for no more than an hour, right? Is a "day" 24 hours, or can it last more than 24 hours?

So the challenge to Frist et al seems to be to try to end debate ASAP by keeping the Senate in session and exhausting the Dems. Maybe after Mardi Gras, I guess.

Actually, we are seeing some pre-Filibuster manueverings in when and how the nomination will get to the floor. When it gets to the floor, each Senator can speak up to twice with no time limit without consent of the Senate. The "day" lasts until adjournment, so when Thurmond Filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957, it was within one "day" even though it stretched into 3 calender days.

The strategy for the Democrats will be the interesting one. They will not want to go on for too long or the Republicans will just plow through a lot of votes after the Filibuster because so many Democrats will be too tired to debate. But if they give up too quick, it gives the Republicans a taste of blood and they will be able to bully the Democrats around.

The Republican strategy, at this point it seems, is to let the Democrats start the self-hanging process without interference. In fact, the White House sent over a fresh bunch of rope today.