Next week, the Senate Judiciary is expected to complete its review of President Obama’s three nominees for the DC Circuit by advancing the nomination of Robert Wilkins to the full Senate. As with Patricia Millett and Nina Pillard, committee Republicans have already signaled their plans: vote against Wilkins in committee because (they claim) the DC Circuit’s caseload is too low, then filibuster the three nominees to deny them a yes-or-no confirmation vote.

The caseload argument is so obviously bogus that it ought to be accompanied by a laugh track.

But it is no laughing matter when ideologues in the Senate threaten to filibuster three unquestionably qualified nominees just because they were nominated by President Obama. You can read some of the highlights of Millett, Wilkins, and Pillard’s qualifications here.

Denying such exceptional nominees a fair confirmation vote makes about as much sense as shutting down the government or defaulting on our nation’s debts. Yet that is today’s Republican Party.