[goldstategop]

Maybe. Let's see how it goes before we can judge if its a sellout. The fact remains the Democrats wanted this deal, they needed this deal and they made this deal because they knew the status-quo was untenable. They would have lost a constitutional option vote. So they took a face saving way out. And three judicial nominees they've branded as "extreme" are going to be put on the federal bench. I'd love to see them explain that one to the MoveOn wackos.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[BobL]

I figured as much.

Why should we condone that behavior on the part of the Dems? It's just like you guys shutting down the jails because there is too much crime. It makes no sense.

[grids]

The fact remains the Democrats wanted this deal, they needed this deal and they made this deal because they knew the status-quo was untenable. They would have lost a constitutional option vote.

You have it completely backwards. If the Demos would have lost a vote on the constitutional option, what incentive did the Republicans have for giving it to them? The Repubs didn't have to, unless there were a batch of spineless RINOs to give it to them. Wait, that's just what happened. Hence, VICTORY for the Dems, and the Repubs snatching defeat from the jaws of victory once again...

[America's Resolve]

They would have lost a constitutional option vote.

How do you know? Now we'll never know will we? At least not until 2006.

And it's worse than that. If we'd pushed through this option, it could have answered the question of filibusters of nominees as far as the eye can see. EVERY nominee until the end of term would require 51 votes instead of 64.

What does this deal guarantee?

we commit to oppose the rules changes in the 109th Congress,

So while the nuke option might have worked by reducing the number of votes required to merely a majority, they've guaranteed that that solution can never succeed now. In ALL future nominations, 64 votes will be needed until 2006 to approve a nominee instead of 51.

That's not a win. They gave up 3 nominees in return for the right to threaten to filibuster EVERY other nominee to come from the WH. ESPECIALLY SC NOMINEES!

And worse yet, lefties get to decided which are the 'extraordinary circumstances' in which they can trigger a filibuster.

You're dreaming if you think this is a win for the Repubs.