I agree with you that the filibustering issue is very important but why does this have to be an either/or thing? Why can't we get rid of fillibustering AND put the best person in charge of the judiciary committee.
We won, let's act like it. You can be sure that the Democrats would if they were in our position. My feeling is that Bush will pursue an agressive conservative agenda because he doesn't have to be concerned about moving to the middle in order to make sure that he can be re-elected.
It's gonna take every bit of political capital there is to get the filibuster rule changed. Conservative, Liberal, Republican and Dem Senators all will lose some personal power if they change it.