Wingnut Coalition To GOP: Now We LOVE The Democrats' Filibuster Rule Change

A coalition of far-right groups has sent a letter to incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging him to keep the filibuster rule change made by the Democrats last year.

A group of 26 conservative academics, advocates and leaders wrote in a letter that they see “very little upside” to restoring the old rules, which had allowed the minority party to require 60 votes to confirm nominees. They say the rules would help Republicans put “committed constitutionalists” on the bench if the White House changes hands in 2016. “The decision by Senator [Harry] Reid and his Democratic colleagues to deploy the so-called ‘nuclear option’ was transparently designed to facilitate the confirmation of judicial nominees who would insulate ObamaCare and other aspects of President Obama’s agenda from meaningful judicial review,” the letter says.  Regardless of their motives, we see very little upside and significant downside in reviving the judicial filibuster.

You will recall that these groups screamed bloody murder when the Democrats made the filibuster rule change, even though many of them had explicitly advocated for that very change the last time the GOP was in charge. Among those signing this week's letter are Phyllis Schlafly, Gary Bauer, Concerned Women head Penny Nance, AFA radio shrieker Sandy Rios, Liberty Counsel head Mat Staver, and Family Research Council senior fellow Ken Blackwell.