[aristeides]

Just heard from Ventura's appointee on Fox that he is a strict constructionist (but social liberal) Has no problem with Bush conservative appointees.

Does that mean he would vote, in a special session after the election, to reorganize the Senate if that is what it would take to get the Bush nominees considered on the Senate floor? (Of course the mere threat might be enough to persuade Leahy to let those nominations go to the floor.)

[SteveH]

I have heard it stated that any Senate business (including reorganization) can be filibustered by a single liberal senator such as Byrd or Feinstein. The tenure of the new appointee is somewhat in doubt, due to differences between state and federal law, and so it can range from a couple of days to several weeks. So it seems that on the surface there is less to hope for than one would otherwise anticipate (or desire).