Bush re-nominates judges
Senate ‘nuclear option’ likely

President Bush re-nominated 20 judges that will push a showdown with Senate Democrats over filibustering of judicial nominees.

"To replay this narrow and completed debate demonstrates the Bush administration's failure to craft a positive agenda for the American people," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.

Senate Majority Leader Majority Leader Bill Frist welcomed the nominees and said that he hoped to confirm the nominees or get an up and down vote for each one on the floor of the Senate. Frist stressed that he hoped he could accomplish that through diplomacy with the Senate Democrats. Reid indicated that would not be possible.

Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican and member of the Judiciary Committee, said that for 200 years, judges have passed on a straight majority vote, by which all of the filibustered nominees would be confirmed.

Democrat responses were to indicate that Bush was not interested in cooperating with Democrats and that his pledge to do so was disingenuous.

Nuclear option

Senate Republicans have suggested taking up what is known as the ‘nuclear option,’ which would change the rules of the Senate so that it does not take 60 votes to end a filibuster. The change of the rules is similar to the rule changes proposed by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) when the Republicans were in the minority and delaying Clinton appointments.

Frist has stated that he has the votes to pass the changes to the rules.