The American Spectator

br> — John McGinnis br> Arlington, Texas /p> p> At one time the House of Representatives had it’s own brand of filibuster called the “The Silent Quorum.” On January 29, 1890 Rep Thomas B. Reed of Maine, the Speaker of the House, began his tough but successful effort to rid the chamber of the notorious “disappearing quorum.” If you read the story and substitute the Senate and assorted Senators names, the story becomes eerily familiar in the context of the judicial filibuster. Today the House of Representatives is governed by Reed’s Rules. If Bill Frist wants a legacy, he should look to Thomas B. Reed for guidance. For those not familiar with this, Rush read it on the air on May 11 and it can be found on Internet searches and at NRO . I have been e-mailing this story out for months. It needs to get heard. br> — GMS br> Media, Pennsylvania /p> p> One hopes that Mr. Tyrrell’s prescient observation on the resolve of Senate Republicans to finally end this unconstitutional filibuster of judicial nominees will at last come to pass. However, as I and other readers have opined, our optimism is tempered by past perfidy on the part of the Senate Republicans’ stable of presidential wannabes and gadflies. As if this wasn’t enough to give us the jitters, now on the eve of this historic vote comes Ken Starr to offer an inane theory on Senate functionality. This former appellate court judge fails to comprehend the essence of Mr. Tyrrell’s brilliant piece and has fallen for the Orwellian rhetoric of the Democrats. If Judge Starr is atwitter over arcane Senate rules and parliamentary power plays as opposed to the Constitution, then praytell, why is he not upset over the fact that the filibuster is not being properly exercised? If Judge Starr wants harmonic balance brought back to the Senate, then it’s time for the Senate to engage in a good old fashioned 24/7 marathon until the last senator drops. Mr. Tyrrell, if indeed you are correct and the judicial logjam is finally broken, dinner at your favorite D.C. restaurant is on me. br> — A. DiPentima, Esq. br> Connecticut