Kowabunga

Endless debate. On and on. Never ending. That has become the status quo on President Bush's nominees to the Federal Appellate Courts. Bush puts forth a nominee, the nominee gets through the Judiciary Committee, and, in utter contempt for the U.S. Constitution, the minority party (Democrats), use a Senate rule to block cloture.

This in from Fox News.

Senate Republicans will begin debate on the judicial nomination of Priscilla Owen (search) on Wednesday morning, hoping to break a Democratic block on the candidates and holding off until next week any efforts to abolish judicial filibusters.

Always next week, and maybe we'll do something about breaking the partisan blockading of Bush's Constitutional power to appoint justices to the Federal bench. The Senate is only authorized the power of "advise and consent" on judicail nominees, which means that once a nominee reaches the Senate floor, it is time to have an up or down vote, not never-ending "debate" through Senate filibuster rules. And in truth, it isn't even debate. The Democrats are using the filibuster rules to prevent an up or down vote, something that has never been done before President Bush took office.

"The filibuster is the last check against abuse of power in Washington," said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid (search) said Tuesday.

Yet the only way to check the abuse of power by Democrats using the filibuster in this manner, and yes, this is an abuse of power, is through the implementation of a rules change. Come on, Senator Frist, it is time to get off the dime and show some leadership and get these people an up-or-down vote, not roll over and play dead because you lack the you-know-what to get things done.