Nuclear Showdown Averted: For Now

Posted on May 24, 2005

The Senate has reached a deal which averts a nuclear showdown over the filibuster: for now, anyway.

Under a compromise reached by an assortment of moderates, mavericks and senior statesmen just as the Senate was headed into its climactic overnight debate over the filibuster, three previously blocked appeals court nominees, Janice Rogers Brown, William Pryor and Priscilla R. Owen - will get floor votes. No commitment was made on the fate of two others, William Myers and Henry Saad.
In addition, the seven Democrats in the deal said they were committed to filibuster future judicial nominees only under "extraordinary" circumstances, while their Republican counterparts promised to support no changes in Senate rules that would alter the filibuster rule, effectively denying the 50 votes it would take to enact such a rules change.

Frist grumped about the deal and admitted that he had no part in it, then tried to spin it as a good thing he helped accomplish. What a weasel. Does he not understand that as Marjority Leader he has been shown--yet again--to be ineffective? Dobson is going to read him the riot act. Under the terms of the deal, any one Senator who feels there are "extraordinary" circumstances, can invoke the filibuster once again. This is far from over. Just wait until we have two vacancies on the Supreme Court.