Posted: 4/28/05 Section: News

More than 60 protesters gathered in front of the Champaign County Courthouse Wednesday in response to Republican threats to revoke senators' rights to filibuster judicial nominees.

The change, discussed by Senate Republicans for weeks, would most likely allow the confirmation of seven of President Bush's federal judicial appointments that Democrats have been able to block thus far. It would require only 51 votes to confirm a nominee; currently 60 votes are needed to prevent a filibuster, in which a senator halts all business in the Senate by refusing to stop speaking on the floor. Republicans currently hold 55 Senate seats.

Bush made the seven judicial nominations during his first term, but Democrats used filibusters to defeat the candidacies. Bush renominated the seven judges following his re-election last November.

While several protesters said they opposed the blocked judicial nominees, they said the rule change was more important because it would alter a practice senators have had since 1806.

"It is not the most perfect system, but it has endured 200 years and it has worked," said Jim Hall, who described himself as a political independent. "Do you really want one party to be in control of your government?"

Removing the filibuster for judicial nominees "is a precedent that really messes with the tradition of working together and compromise," said Urbana resident Kate Maurer.

Republicans have countered by saying judges deserve a vote on their nomination. Republicans say a super-majority of 60 votes is too high a requirement to confirm a judicial nominee because the Constitution only requires "the advice and consent of the Senate" - meaning a simple majority.

"Democratic senators should abandon their unprecedented judicial filibusters, give the nominees a fair up-or-down vote and move quickly to approve an Energy Bill, Highway Bill and other critical items on America's agenda. Obstruction doesn't advance anyone's agenda," stated Bob Stevenson, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's communication director, in a press release.

Wednesday's protest in Urbana came after the political action committee MoveOn encouraged people to take part in rallies across the nation - including one in Washington, D.C., led by former Vice President Al Gore. The protests were meant to discourage Frist from invoking the "nuclear option," so called because it is seen by some as an option of last resort with catastrophic consequences. Democrats have vowed to block the rest of the GOP agenda if Frist revokes the filibuster rule.

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