Terry Eastland of the right-wing Daily Standard reports that he has been told by an aide to a GOP Senator that it's likely the Republican leadership will try to press to end the filibuster rule for judicial nominees this fall.

Such a rule change would, indeed, be disastrous, since it has only been by Democratic application of the filibuster that some of George Bush's kooks have been kept off the courts. My only complaint is that it hasn't been applied often enough.

But for once, Eastland and I agree. He's skeptical that Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island will go along with the madness. I very much doubt they will, though what he doesn't mention is that "Democrat" Zell Miller of Georgia will probably support anything the Republithugs want. And it's certainly not beyond the bounds of imagination that other Democratic Senators could be bought off.

In any case, it's going to be one more distraction that the Republicans can pull off at the height of the campaign season. Keep your eye on this one!