“Practically every big-name liberal senator you can think of derided the filibuster a decade ago but now sees the error of his or her ways and will go to amusing lengths to try to convince you that the change of heart is explained by something deeper than the mere difference between being in the majority and being in the minority…[J]udicial candidates nominated by a president deserve an up-or-down vote in the Senate… But the Senate shouldn’t stop with filibusters over judges. It should strive to nuke the filibuster for all legislative purposes…The filibuster, a parliamentary tactic allowing 41 senators to block a vote by extending debate on a measure indefinitely, is indeed venerable — it can be traced back two centuries. But it is merely the product of the Senate’s own rule-making, altered over time; the measure was not part of the founding fathers’ checks and balances to prevent a tyranny of the majority. The Senate’s structure itself was part of that calculus…. It’s no accident that most filibusters have hindered progressive crusades in Washington, be it on civil rights or campaign finance reform. California’s Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, one of those recent converts to the filibuster, embarrassed herself by hailing Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) as her inspiration at a pro-filibuster rally. At least Byrd is being consistent in his support — he filibustered the 1964 Civil Rights Act” — Los Angeles Times editorial pages.