The old "both sides do it" canard, by Michael Tomasky

[clear eye]

One of the standard lines conservatives like to use in defending their absurd strategems is that "both sides do it" (whatever "it" is), and they dredge up one or two examples of Democrats engaging in quasi-similar conduct at some point in 1977 or 1994 or something. More insidiously, the MSM then generally parrots it, because, as conservatives well know, MSM reporters here in the states are duty-bound to be even-handed and show balance, and therefore the both-sides-do-it line gains instant currency in the press.

But, as is usually the case, both sides don't do this. The link is to a fine piece in Slate by Doug Kendall, one of President Clinton's lawyers, showing exactly the way in which the Senate GOP's current blocage of several Obama nominees to federal judgeships is new, different and far more extreme than we've seen in the past from either party. Even uncontroversial nominees -- whose nominations caused no particular controversy and who passed through committee with strong bipartisan support -- are being held up by the whole Senate (the GOP portion of it).