Despite Sen. Charles Schumer's (D.-N.Y.) pre-confirmation-hearing threat that Democrats might filibuster the Supreme Court nomination of Samuel Alito, odds are now slim it will happen. While all the usual Democrat Senate suspects were lining up to announce their opposition to Alito last week, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.), herself an Alito opponent, told the Los Angeles Times a filibuster was unlikely. "Arguments were being made pro and con, but mostly con at the moment," said Feinstein.
Meanwhile, Sen. Ben Nelson (D.-Neb.), a member of the Gang of 14 who made a deal to stop the filibuster of appellate court nominees in order to forestall a Senate rule change that would have outlawed judicial filibusters, affirmed that he will vote for Alito. Nelson, who has to run for re-election this year, said he was supporting Alito "because of his impeccable judicial credentials, the American Bar Association's strong recommendation and his pledge that he would not bring a political agenda to the court."
