Farewell the Filibuster?

Fresh off their defeat in the Terri Schiavo case, our Republican friends are at it again. Although this time it's they who want to pull the plug...on Senate filibustering of presidential juducial appointments. Can't get what you want the good old fashioned legal way? Change the law! Senate Democrats have used the filibuster to thwart Bush's attempt at ushering in a dangerous crop of right-wing judges into the Federal courts. Frustrating for Republicans? To say the least. But they are not wont to just sit idly by and not get their way. Karl Rove taught them they can have anything they want. The filibuster, an important weapon of the minority party, has been around longer than Rove's love handles. It's part of our system of checks and balances. But the Republicans are more ruthless than ever in their quest for supreme power. To change the filibuster process would be a major travesty of justice and a detriment to all Americans. Let's hope moderate Republican Senators like Olympia Snow, Lincoln Chafee, Arlen Spector, John McCain, Susan Collins and others do the right thing and split ranks on this one. And kudos to W.Va. Senator Robert C. Byrd, Democratic elder statesman who's leading the Senate charge on this issue. Got a few extra bucks? I'm sure Sen. Byrd's campaign could use them. He's sure to be the conservatives' numero-uno target come '06. Andy