The beginning of the end (of this particular battle)...

...has begun. They're starting (as expected) with Priscilla Owens and Janice Rogers-Brown.

Some of the high points from Frist's opening:

• For 214 years, Republican and Democratic minorities alike restrained themselves. They abided by the Framers’ design and Senate tradition and gave nominees brought to the floor simple majority up-or-down votes.
  
  Then came the last Congress.
  
  With its obstruction, the minority set a new precedent - 60 votes before the Senate could proceed to an up-or-down vote on a judicial nominee. The threshold for advice and consent in the Senate was 50 votes. In the last Congress, the minority party radically increased that threshold to 60 votes.





• The minority destroyed 214 years of Senate tradition, defied the clear intent of the Constitution, and undermined the democratic will of the American people. You can’t get much more radical than that. This new precedent cannot be allowed to stand in this Congress.

  
  (Emphasis mine)
  




• The Senate is a deliberative body. We are a proudly deliberative body. But we also have certain responsibilities - which include giving advice and consent on the President’s judicial nominees. When a judicial nominee comes to this floor and has majority support, but is denied a simple up-or-down vote, Senators aren’t doing their job. And the sad fact is: we didn’t do our job in the last Congress.
  
  The minority’s judicial obstruction has saddled President Bush with the lowest confirmation rate for appeals court nominees of any modern president. This is disgraceful. We owe it to the people we serve and to the Senate as an institution to do our job.

Go for it, Bill. It's about time. And you'd better have the votes, or this will be a disaster...