I must amend my previous post. There was one fillibuster of a judicial nominee prior to Cowboy Dubya and his posse arriving on the scene.

According to the new edition of National Review, Abe Fortas was fillibustered by a bi-partisan group of Senators in 1968. He was Johnson’s nominee to be Supreme Court Chief Justice. He was fillibustered to allow more discussion, which revealed some serious ethics problems. Fortas, already a member of the Supremes, resigned from the Court a few months later.

Attempts were made by a lone Republican to fillibuster a couple of Clinton nominees in 1999 and 2000, but these didn’t go anywhere. Not enough GOPers went along with the idea and the fillibusters never had enough votes to get started.

And that’s it. The great Senate tradition of fillibustering judicial nominees. One bi-partisan case 30 plus years ago and two failed attempts in the Clinton years. Aren’t you glad the jackass 14 stood up for the rights of the minority?