FILIBUSTER COMPROMISE REACHED

So a compromise has been reached on the Senate filibuster. Priscilla Owens, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor will get a vote in the full Senate and be confirmed as U.S. appellate judges.

I suppose, pragmatically, this was necessary to preserve the filibuster for "extraordinary" cases, as has been said. But how much more "extraordinary" can you get? Bush is deliberately stacking the appellate court with ultra-conservative, anti-abortion, pro-business activist judges. Dems say this sends a message to Bush/Cheney that they can't abuse their power. How so? They got away with it, didn't they?

Last night was the premiere of the film about John McCain's life, "Faith of Our Fathers." McCain used the event to announce he would vote against changing the filibuster rules. I don't believe Frist had the votes; John Warner and others were showing every sign of moving to oppose the rules change. Conscience was about to prevail among just enough Repugs to win this thing. I think this was a case where the two parties were eyeball to eyeball -- and we blinked.

UPDATE: Russ Feingold agrees with me.

UPDATE: The wingnuts are "outraged" that they didn't get their fight, progressive groups are "disappointed." A telling choice of adjectives.