The troubling nomination of Goodwin Liu to the federal bench — dissected ably and at length over at Bench Memos — has been thwarted by a Senate filibuster. The final vote was 52-43. Notable “no” votes on cloture included Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins (Maine), and Sen. Ben Nelson (D., Neb.). Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) voted “present.”
It is the first successful filibuster of a judicial nominee since 2005.