William Pryor: “Several members of the Senate have asked me whether my research on the history of the Senate sheds light on the current…”

“Several members of the Senate have asked me whether my research on the history of the Senate sheds light on the current debate over the role of the Senate with respect to President Bush's judicial nominations. Defining the right of extended debate is always tricky. If it is being used against you, it is a vicious weapon of obstruction, whose use in a democracy is unconscionable. If it is you who is using that weapon, it is a great one to have in your arsenal. Many times in America's history, the right of extended debate has been used to defend causes with which I profoundly disagree. In Master of the Senate, I tried to show how it was a last-resort, but very effective, barrier thrown up in the most ignoble of causes: the continuation of racial segregation.”