Sleepless in the Senate
The Senate debate on the obstruction of President Bush's judicial nominees will extend into Friday morning. The Democrats are now whining that the Republicans are taking valuable time away from urgent national needs to debate what they imply is an unimportant issue of judicial nominees.

Two questions should be raised in the face of this hot air. First, if this debate were not taking place, would the Democrats really be staying up all night working diligently to solve unemployment, poverty, health care, etc., all in two days? And more to the point, if the judicial nominations have suddenly become so unimportant, why continue to spend the time and energy to block them?

UPDATE: On Friday morning, the motions to invoke cloture on three highly qualified nominees: Priscilla Owen, Carolyn Kuhl and Janice Brown did not pass.

The motions to invoke cloture vote averaged 53-42. Sixty votes are necessary to force a vote on the Senate floor. This outcome was not unexpected. Unfortunately, this obstruction will continue, but the issue is not yet settled. Just one more battle in the continuing fight over the fate of our civilization.