In the past couple of weeks, people who care about American politics and about Congress have lost two important figures: Harry McPherson and James Q. Wilson.

This is the third installment of AEI's series, Politics Watch.

It is important that an intense Senate minority has some weapons at its disposal to make high-handed majority actions suffer consequences, but due to the misuse of the filibuster, the way the Senate operates now is dysfunctional and costly.

Senate Democrats implore President Bush to consult with them, and they have not ruled out the prospect of filibustering a nominee they consider too extreme.

The frivolous use of the filibuster could be stopped by making it the minority's responsibility to keep the filibuster going or by returning to the old model in which a filibuster means that the Senate has to stop everything and debate around the clock.

The Senate should cut a deal that allows face saving on both sides but backs away from the bad precedents of judicial filibusters and their abolition.

Watching a once-great political party decay is painful. What happened to the Democrats?

Senate Democrats have destroyed the confirmation process; Republicans should try the Democrats' tactics to return the Supreme Court to the original meaning and purpose of the Constitution.