Deal

So, some folks in the Senate have some sense. Who knew?

14 Senators got together their marbles - 7 Dems and 7 Repubs. That's enough to both break a filibuster and pre-empt a rules change. Lets take a look at the deal:

- Three Bush appointees get a vote (Janice Rogers Brown, William Pryor and Priscilla R. Owen), while two may not (William Myers and Henry Saad).

- Democrats (and all Senators) retain the right to filibuster judicial appointments in "extraordinary circumstances," which is a handy deterrent to Bush nominating an arch-conservative to the Supreme Court when Rehnquist retires, probably this summer.

Via Eschaton, filibuster busters' heads a splode.

This is trouble for Frist. I'm almost as glad to see this failure hurt his imminent bid for president as I am that the Senate's ability to defend the minority is secure. In the words of that wily ole' Robert Byrd, "We have kept the Republic."