Editors' Blog

Even Leahy Stiffens On Filibuster

11.08.13 | 9:13 am

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., listens to testimony by Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), Gen. Keith B. Alexander, Rand Beers, Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Patrick Gallagher, director of the... Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., listens to testimony by Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), Gen. Keith B. Alexander, Rand Beers, Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Patrick Gallagher, director of the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Richard McFeely, Executive Assistant Director of Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch, Federal Bureau of Investigation, about NSA surveillance before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) MORE LESS

Not one to get out over his skis, Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has not been one of the rabble-rousers about nuking the filibuster, especially not for judicial nominees. But continued GOP intransigence, including the blockade of any more nominations to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, has even Leahy making noises about weakening the filibuster rules.

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David Kurtz is TPM's editor at large.