Democrats Rein In Senate Filibusters
Wall Street Journal
By JANET HOOK and KRISTINA PETERSON
Updated Nov. 21, 2013 10:54 p.m. ET
A bitterly divided Senate voted Thursday to eliminate filibusters for most presidential nominees, a momentous and politically risky step that limits the ability of Republicans to block President Barack Obama’s choices for executive-branch and most judicial posts.
The change gives Mr. Obama more flexibility to shape the federal judiciary and to staff his administration for the remaining years of his presidency. But it could hand more power to Republicans if the GOP should win the White House and control of the Senate.