"Complicating the task is Republican senators' continuing rage over Democrats' unilateral weakening of filibuster rules a year ago, ending the GOP's ability to block Obama's nominees. Ever since, Republicans have required Democrats to use the maximum time Senate rules require for most nominations, ranging from two hours for federal district court judges to 30 hours for Cabinet-level appointees.
"Republicans won't bend over backward to make things easy for Democratic nominees," said Curt Levey, president of the conservative Committee for Justice.
Last November, Democrats used their majority muscle to reshape filibuster rules by requiring a simple majority - not 60 votes - to end the delays against most nominations. The 60-vote requirement remained in place for Supreme Court justices and for legislation.
Read more:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/art...#ixzz3IgRzDhfa
Follow us: @RCP_Articles on Twitter