WASHINGTON (November 18, 2009)--Democrats have crushed a Senate filibuster against appeals court nominee David Hamilton, who as a judge who prohibited prayers that mentioned Jesus Christ before sessions of the Indiana House of Representatives.

The 70-29 vote limited debate over Hamilton's qualifications and assured his elevation to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Sixty votes were needed to end the filibuster, but confirmation only requires a simple majority of the 100-member Senate.

Alabama Republican Jeff Sessions noted that while Hamilton prohibited the mention of Jesus in invocations, he allowed a Muslim cleric to pray to Allah, but Indiana Democrat Evan Bayh assured his colleagues that Hamilton "is not hostile to religion. He is not hostile to Jesus Christ."