Texas Supreme Court Justice Pricilla Owen will be the first to be brought up by the US Senate tomorrow as the battle over the President's judicial nominations begins anew. Justice Owenis a nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
If the Democrats do not allow her to be voted upon, the Republicans must follow through on the threat to end judicial filibusters, the so-called "nuclear option."
There is still talk of compromise. Any proposed compromise that does not allow for a vote on each of the President's nominees must be rejected.
If US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist cannot muster the 50 votes needed to end the filibusters when the Republicans currently have 56 senators, Senator Frist owes it to his party to step down as Majority Leader. Any Republican senator that has any plans of running for president in '08 or beyond must act now in the interests of their president, their party and their country by voting to support a ruling from the chair to end the filibusters.
The Democrats may threaten all they want about bringing the US Senate and any pending legislation to a grinding halt, but it is their constituencies that will be affected the most, and their constituencies that will hold them accountable.
