Frist Not Allowing Senators To Speak On The Senate Floor About Alito...

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) tried to secure time this week to speak on the Senate floor about Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito. But Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist would not allow any time for speeches until January 25, a day after the Senate Judiciary Committee votes on Alito's nomination.

The normal practice of the majority leader is to give senators time to make floor speeches about the nominee.

Instead of speaking on the Senate floor, Senator Leahy will give a speech today at Georgetown University Law School. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) will also give speeches today regarding Alito's nomination -- Kennedy at a think tank in Washington, and Durbin at Northwestern Law School.