There’s lots of news about judicial nominations at How Appealing. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved two Michigan nominees for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on a party-line vote. Senate Democrats complain that Republicans are not observing the “Thurmond Rule” against bringing up judicial nominations in election years after July 1. (Of course, it’s also traditional not to obstruct, let alone filibuster, lower court nominees during the first two years of a President’s term.) Finally, it seems that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will back a rule change that could effectively end the filibuster for judicial nominations.