Filibuster and Cloture
For interesting facts on Filibuster and Cloture in the US Senate, one need look no further than the US Senate official website:
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Filibuster_Cloture.htm
Even fox news admits it has a long history:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,102847,00.html
Take a look at the information at the above links.
(And if your name is Bill Frist or Dick Cheney or George W. Bush, consider this required reading!!)