Senate.gov details Filibuster of Abe Fortas…frm. Frist CoS responsible for content.
As Republicans talk of the nuclear option, all of them spout the same lines about this being the first time filibusters have been used in Judicial nominations. It appears that the Senate's own website proves that the Republican's are full of crap.
The Senate website has a page dedicated to the Filibustering of Abe Fortas on October 1, 1968. (Links and screen shots below for when the pages disappear)
The website shows that the Precedent for filibusters was set when Republican Sen. Dirksen withdrew his support for him.
"When the Judiciary Committee revealed that Fortas received a privately funded stipend, equivalent to 40 percent of his Court salary, to teach an American University summer course, Dirksen and others withdrew their support. Although the committee recommended confirmation, floor consideration sparked the first filibuster in Senate history on a Supreme Court nomination," the site says. "On October 1, 1968, the Senate failed to invoke cloture. Johnson then withdrew the nomination, privately observing that if he had another term, "the Fortas appointment would have been different."
The person who is responsible content for Secretary of the Senate Emily Reynolds, according to the web site. Before becoming Sec. of the Senate, Reynolds served as Chief of Staff to the Majority Leader, Rev., Dr. Bill Frist.
(I am working on the Screen Shots...I can not figure out how to post them here. If anyone knows, please help me out.)
Update [2005-5-2 1:33:57 by alliod]:--Thanks to Shockwave we now have a screen shot below.
(http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Filibuster_Derails_Supreme_Court_Appointment.htm )
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/general/one_item_and_teasers/content_responsibility.htm
http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/person/emily_reynolds.htm