An extraordinary event is occuring right now on CSPAN2. The Senate is being obstructed by a filibuster by the Democrats. A filibuster effectively stops all Senate action until an issue is resolved. This issue concerns the nomination of Miguel Estrada, a conservative lawyer from Honduras, to the circuit court of appeals to the District of Columbia, a stepping stone away from the Supreme Court. Republicans are more than happy to vote him in, a pick of the White House. Democrats, probably unhappy of the conservative court-packing under way, have used the excuse of not enough information as a reason to hold back, both in the failure to disclose certain internal memoranda as well as some vague answers to some questions asked by the Senate. As a result, Senators are forced to stay on the floor and keep talking until the issue is resolved. And that's happening right now. I know the debate started this morning and it's still happening now. The most famous, and longest, filibuster was by recently retired Strom Thurmond, who 46 years ago held up the Senate single-handedly for 24 straight hours with his opposition to civil rights legislation.

Update: I turn to the West Wing and I turn back, and the filibuster would seem to be over. Or perhaps delayed until tomorrow. We'll see.