Did Ben Nelson officially snuff out Dem hopes of filibustering Sam Alito once and for all by announcing support for his nomination yesterday? 

I have decided to vote in favor of Judge Samuel Alito to serve as the 110th Justice of the United States Supreme Court. I came to this decision after careful consideration of his impeccable judicial credentials, the American Bar Association's strong recommendation and his pledge that he would not bring a political agenda to the Court.

The chances of Alito being filibustered decreased in direct proportion to the amount of time  Joe Biden, Ted Kennedy,  Charles Schumer, et al . spent on television during the hearings last week, finally bottoming out somewhere close to zero when Mrs. Alito broke down in tears at the end of day three.