If the filibuster dies history will record that it was the Republicans who killed it, just as history will record that Republicans abandoned two hundred years of history to prevent hearings on President Obama's lawful nomination of Merrick Garland to the bench.

But I must say, I find this sentence objectionable: "A Supreme Court nomination battle only highlights the degree to which they [Democrats] are beholden to abortion rights and gay rights groups."

If Democrats are "beholden" to gay rights groups they are equally "beholden" to groups that support women's rights, children's rights, black people's right, workers' rights, poor people's rights, and individual rights against wealthy corporate interests - in short, Democrats care about the little guy and those who are downtrodden, i.e. the very people Republicans have forgotten. Singling out gay rights groups merely exposes MSW's own personal bias, and I must say, it's rather revealing.