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The "upside" of this deal, as others have already pointed out, is that three previously unacceptable, "threat to the nation" conservative judges have been approved; making it difficult (but not impossible) for the Democrats to claim "extreme circumstances" in opposing future Presidential nominees. The "downside" (and it is a big downside) is that the "moderate" Republicans like McCain have (de facto, if not de jure) established that there is a "right" to filibuster judicial nominees, thereby frustrating future attempts to employ the Constitutional Option in the event that the Democrats violate this understanding. I get the feeling that the what will trigger the "extreme circumstances" clause of this deal is not so much who the President nominates, but what court the nominee is to join. So that if the President were to attempt to "pack" the 9th Circus Court with conservative justices, the Democrats would respond with a filibuster. This does not give any of us any comfort as we look down the road to the big enchilada, possible vacancies on the US Supreme Court. That's when we will see if this deal is worth the paper it wasn't written on.