Rage

by Bob Woodward

In 2005, under President George W. Bush, Graham, John McCain and a bipartisan group of 12 other senators had held firm to resist a proposal to eliminate the use of a filibuster in the Senate for judicial appointments. A filibuster effectively allowed one senator to block the appointment of a judge. Senate rules required 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, meaning in effect each nominee needed the support of at least 60 senators. But in 2013, under Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, infuriated by Republicans’ use of the filibuster, pushed the elimination through. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen John McCain more upset,” Graham recalled. “Because that’s the beginning of the end.”