Alito Filibuster Goes Down In Flames

By an overwhelming margin.

A few thoughts.

First, that means that absent a freak lightning strike, Alito's as good as confirmed, as he's got more than the 50 votes he needs. I think he will make a wonderful replacement for O'Connor. But then again, anyone who can flip a coin would be just as good as O'Connor, so that's not necessarily a huge honor.

Second, the filibuster attempt was doomed from the get-go. When even Harry Reid and Turban Durbin are calling it a lost cause, it's a lost cause. That means the ditch-effort by Kerry and Kennedy could have only served one purpose -- to shore up street cred amongst the insane left (i.e. most of their base). Not that the transparency of his ham-fisted political maneuver will make any kind of a difference.

Third, a respectable number of Senators plan on voting no to Alito, but don't support the filibuster. I guess there's some kind of meaning to the phrase "extreme circumstances" still. Or rather, there's some respect for the sense that the President gets to pick the judges, and the Senate should only shoot them down for serious reasons. And failure to vociefrously defend "rights" invented by previous Justices is not a serious reason.

Finally, I just got off the phone with Alito, who gave me permission to tell you all that the moment he is confirmed, he plans to moon Kerry and Kennedy and loudly tell all those assembled that he plans on killing Roe v. Wade, writing the Equal Protection Clause out of existence, reviving slavery, requiring that Genesis 1-2 be taught instead of science classes, and granting George W. Bush the title of "King, Lord Protector, and Defender of the Faith." Good on ya.