Senate ends talkathon, not stalemate

With a 53-42 vote, Democrats succeeded in stopping further action on the nomination of Texas judge Priscilla Owen to a seat on a U.S. appeals court. It was the fourth time Democrats have blocked the Owen nomination.

They also voted 53-43 on California judge Carolyn Kuhl and 53-43 on another California judge, Janice Rogers Brown.

With the blocking of Kuhl and Brown, Democrats will have stopped six Bush nominees: Owen, Brown, Kuhl, Mississippi judge Charles Pickering, Alabama Attorney General William Pryor and Hispanic lawyer Miguel Estrada. Estrada dropped his nomination after losing nine filibuster votes.

The Senate has confirmed 168 Bush judicial nominees.