Is this letter publicized anywhere but this blog, or other blogs? This is the kind of thing I have been talking about---getting information out to the public. When Representative McConnell states "Never before in the history of the country has a minority of senators filibustered—on a systematic, repeated, and partisan basis—well-qualified judicial nominees. But in the last Congress, it occurred on ten different circuit court nominations within only sixteen months..." he is basically issuing a challenge to Reid to respond, and if there is not a factual rebuttal, the statement stands. However, that is only important if enough people read it or hear about it.

Another key comment is the one about there not being enough hours in the universe sufficient to discuss nominees. That's pretty much a statement that they don't intend to ever have a real discussion---somethng the MSM have yet to point out. The impression out there is that there has been discussion, and the nominees have been deemed unqualified.

Let's hope this letter gets some air time. Yeah, right.

Is there a way to put pressure on the Dems to hold open debates on the nominees? A way that would force them to agree or to refuse in a way that would point up their intransigence?

With all due respect to Senator McConnell, his letter can be distilled down to one word, repeated endlessly: blah, blah, blah. Reid knows what he and his caucus are doing. He knows it's unprecedented. He simply doesn't care. And he sure as heck doesn't care what Republicans think about it. All that matters to him is protecting his party's last redoubt of governing power - the Judiciary - and he'll continue do it any way he can.

McConnell can clear-cut entire forests worth of stationery for letters like this and it won't budge the Donks. He and Frist can turn their lungs inside out with verbal appeals to "work with the majority to restore the 200-year-old norms and traditions of the Senate" and it won't budge the Donks. They can offer to concede the entire rest of the Republican agenda in exchange for "working with the Majority Leader to repair our broken judicial confirmation process," and it won't budge the Donks. They can shave their heads, paint their scalps green, don pink tu-tus and dance a conga line right across the Senate floor and it won't budge the Donks.

The Democrats will maintain that filibuster until either the President withdraws his judicial nominees and replaces them with left-wing extremists, or the majority changes the rules to outlaw filibusters of judicial nominations.

There is no middle ground on this. There can be no compromise. Either we win or they win. And on that fulcrum will the fortunes of both parties turn.

And when our Senate #2 makes plaintive appeals - no, let's call it what it really is, begging - to the very man who is presently most responsible for breaking the judicial confirmation process - and by that very act reinforces the very tactic he seeks to dissuade - well, let's just say I'm not impressed.

I can only imagine how Reid and Durbin and Kennedy and Schumer must roar with laughter at their foes' near-apoplectic desperation to "reach out" to them.

Makes me wonder how long it will be before the GOP runs out of arms.