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SUPREME COURT

Sen. Kyl won't rule out filibuster

The Senate's No. 2 Republican on Sunday refused to rule out a filibuster if President Obama seeks a Supreme Court justice who decides cases based on "emotions or feelings or preconceived ideas."

Sen. Jon Kyl made clear he would use the procedural delay if Mr. Obama follows through on his pledge to nominate someone who takes into account human suffering and employs empathy from the bench. The Arizona Republican acknowledged that his party likely does not have enough votes to sustain a filibuster, but he said nonetheless he would try to delay or derail the nomination if Mr. Obama ventures outside what Mr. Kyl called the mainstream.

"We will distinguish between a liberal judge on one side and one who doesn't decide cases on the merits but, rather, on the basis of his or her preconceived ideas," Mr. Kyl said.

STATE DEPARTMENT

Agency liberalizes gay-partner policy

In a policy shift, the State Department will offer equal benefits and protections to same-sex partners of American diplomats, the New York Times reported Sunday.

The newspaper said the shift was spelled out in an internal memorandum that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sent last week to an association of gay and lesbian foreign service officers.

Mrs. Clinton said the policy change addressed an inequity in the treatment of domestic partners and would help the State Department recruit diplomats, because many international employers already offered such benefits, the report said.