Frist needs to settle this issue now. Ducking it now will only lead to a much bigger, much uglier fight when it comes time to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. Then the Donks will really be desperate.
If the Donks were smart, they would let these judges go by voting for cloture, to maintin the option of Filibustering later, when it really counts. But they really aren't all that smart, are they?
If Frist deals now, he is saying that Filibustering is an acceptable practice for confirmation of judges. That means only compromise candidates can be considered for the next vacancy on the Supreme Court.
That would be a deal breaker for me. If the Republicans cannot get the issue of confirmation of Federal Judges resolved favorably, I will not support them in the future. Nothing else they do is a tenth as important. The liberal straglehold on the Judiciary is their last Lever of Power, and they are pulling on it ruthlessly. It must be removed.
They're smart enough to know that if they do a real filibuster, they'll lose. All of these obstruction tactics are being done because they can't win if they're honest about their agenda. They have to lie and hope their lies will be believed.