All this may be academic, though. The most crucial passage in the agreement may prove to be this one: "Each signatory must use his or her own discretion and judgment in determining whether such ['extraordinary'] circumstances exist." As a practical matter, this applies only to the Democratic signatories, since no Republican has ever voted to filibuster a Bush judicial nominee. "
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He is making excellent points. The bottom line is that this agreement binds the Republicans, but does not bind the Democrats, because the loop hole for them is so big, you can drive an entire fleet of trucks through it.
I think that the atmosphere of the Senate would be much improved by the occasional breaking out of fisticuffs, as is the legislative norm in most parts of the world.
Republicans who think that because the RATS are allowing votes on Owen, Brown and Pryor they won't be able to filibuster any other nominee who's as conservative or less so are deluding themselves. The RATS will just say that Owen et al actually are basically unacceptable to them, that they let them through reluctantly just to preserve the right to filibuster. Mark my words.