The Cleveland Plain Dealer has an excellent article today discussing judicial nominations and the use of the filibuster. In my view, the Plain Dealer hits the nail right on the head:

The privilege of talking an issue literally to death is not granted to senators in the Constitution. It’s a rule of the Senate, which the Senate may change at will . . . . Restoring some self-discipline in the judiciary - starting right at the top - is far more important to the country’s future than preserving the filibuster rule in the Senate.