Congratulations are in order...

to the moderate senators who were able to strike a deal to stop (for now?) the demise of the filibuster (for judicial nominees) and maintain senate rules. I suspect it's merely a delay of the inevitable, however. When Bush nominates a Supreme Court justice, which is coming sooner than later, certainly that nomination will be an extremely conservative judge (in keeping with his spending spree of that political capital he claims he earned, by mandate no less!), and this will provoke the Democrats into screaming, "EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES," and begin their filibustering. Then we'll see how Dr. Frist is able to handle this "good will based upon mutual trust and confidence" agreement between centrist senators. Frankly, I doubt he will. Senator Frist is not a happy man tonight, by his own admission; he was chomping at the bit to show his evangelical base that he was their man, now and more importantly, later; willing to break rules to have his way and ultimately theirs. And to be upstaged by Senator McCain! That's adding insult to injury.

I have to wonder if this is much of a win for the Democrats. Judge Priscilla Owens will be allowed an up-down vote, as will two others, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor---all extremely conservative judges. The Republicans get three of their nominees, and the Democrats get to nix two, apparently. Unless a number of those moderate Republican senators side with the Democrats and vote against confirmation of one or more, these three judges will sit on federal appeal courts for the rest of their lives, or for a very long time.

Senator Reid's comment that "the integrity of the Supreme Court has been protected from the undue influence of the vocal, radical right wing," seems premature and overly optimistic. But you can't blame Reid for gloating. I sure hope he's right.

That John McCain has positioned himself as forerunner for the Republican presidential nomination come 2007 must also irk Frist. It's been a bad day for Frist. And overall, a fairly good one for the American people.

A better day for the average citizen of this country (aka "Joe Public," as George demeaningly refers to us) will be when there is true bipartisanship in Congress once again. How that will be acquired, who can say? It's up to the voting public, of course. Yet if you believe the Red/Blue U.S. map, the voting public is as mindlessly partisan as those they elect. I frankly would like to see more Independents and third-party candidates elected, to insert a little creative, outside-the-partisan-box thinking into what's become a feckless institution. Beyond that, how to take the special interest money out of the equation is the real issue.

Where are Messrs Jefferson, Adams, Payne and Franklin when we need them?

Rolling in their graves, no doubt.