there are three judges ahead of bob bacharach in line. we have had a leahy-thurmond rule for some 20 years. i have been quoted, i think it's a stupid rule, but the background is that protecting the prerogative of the senate is one of the most important things the majority leader can do, and what we have seen happen with the lack of agreement this last holiday season over the moving forward of judges and their approval was the unconstitutional usurpings of power by the president of the united states and the appointment during our pro forma sessions of three individuals, one to the consumer financial protection board and two to the nlrb. and quite frankly, if you look at what madison wrote in federalist 51, the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same branch of government consist to those administering each give the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachment of the others. ambition must be made to counteract ambition. the interest of the man must be connected with the c