As you read this over your morning coffee, our elected senators are probably still jabbering on in their chambers about who is to blame for a logjam over President Bush’s judicial nominations.

Republicans want to pre-empt a Democratic filibuster on the president’s nominees, including Mississippi’s Charles Pickering.

Now, we believe Pickering got a raw deal from opponents who labeled him a racist rather than admit they just didn’t like his conservative politics.

But a 30-hour &uot;talkathon&uot; &045;&045; which GOP senators decided Thursday night would be extended into this morning &045;&045; is not the way to go about making a point.

Instead, it is a waste of time and energy, not to mention tax dollars.

Is this the kind of stunt senators gave themselves a raise to pull? We’d like our money back, please.

Louisiana voters should head to the polls Saturday

Yes, it’s the first day of muzzle-loading season. Yes, it’s a Saturday and college football will be on TV.

But Louisiana residents still have an obligation to go to the polls for statewide and Concordia Parish elections Saturday.

There are several police jury runoffs and a hotly contested sheriff’s race on the ballot, not to mention a historic gubernatorial contest between an Indian-American Republican and a Democratic woman.

We encourage all voters to take some time out of their day and go to the polls to vote.