Inouye joins effort
to keep filibuster

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye joined 13 centrist colleagues yesterday in reaching an agreement that left filibuster rules unchanged while breaking the logjam on stalled judicial nominees.

"Today our democracy has emerged triumphant from one of the greatest challenges it has ever faced," Inouye said in a news release issued by his Washington office.

"Democracy is not simply majority rule," the Hawaii Democrat said. "It is the protection and respect of the minority -- for as history has shown time and time again, today's minority frequently becomes tomorrow's majority."

Inouye said he delivered his first speech in the Senate 42 years ago to save the filibuster -- a parliamentary device that can be stopped only by a 60-vote majority -- then siding with the Republican minority against a Democratic majority.

"Today, I have joined a courageous band of my colleagues to save the filibuster again -- not with a speech, this time, but with action," Inouye said.

"And I am confident our actions today have done more than preserve our cherished American democracy. We have opened up a bridge for greater dialogue, founded on mutual respect, for the benefit of all the American people."