[TomasUSMC]

Didn't seem so stupid when the Republicans used it though, did it?

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YES it did.

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The issue was the downside to the agreement. Please tell me what downside exists that did not pre-date the agreement.

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It is that we will have a much harder time, now, after this agreement, in getting all our judges, than we would have had, if no agreement existed.

[MACVSOG68]

It is that we will have a much harder time, now, after this agreement, in getting all our judges, than we would have had, if no agreement existed.

Before the agreement, 3 outstanding judges were tied up in filibuster with no chance outside of the nuclear option of confirmation. Now all 3 will be confirmed, and the Dems have agreed to not filibuster except in extraordinary circumstances, which now must mean more than the reasons given for Pryor, Brown, and Owen. If the Dems start filibustering again, the agreement's dead and the constitutional option invoked by Frist. And the 7 reuctant Republicans will now be under tremendous pressure to support Frist, a pressure they did not feel before the agreement. No downside to that. All of the pressure now appears to be on the Dems to pass on nominees in good faith. If not, we have the three most important ones confirmed and we are no worse off than before.