Well, it looks like the Senate has reached a deal averting the nuclear option. Odd, that, since it sounds an awful lot like the deal Reid offered last week that was flatly refused. Given the Mexican standoff situation today it's impossible to tell who blinked and why. One guy had the votes and one guy didn't, and it didn't make any sense for the one who had them to cut a deal. The moderates must have really held their ground and not divulged which way their votes would swing, that's the only way I can see them having leverage with both Reid and Frist to cut this deal.

Regardless, I'm not too happy. It keeps the filibuster intact, but Dems agree to approve even more of Bush's activist judges (ooh, political jujitsu!). I mean, given the way the GOP has already gutted Senate rules, and the relative number of judges approved for Bush II to those for Clinton, this is still a landslide for the theo-conservative Judiciary. And it doesn't even have the benefit of making the Republicans look like what they are: Power mad bastards.

But then again, last time anyone said that "well, maybe it has to get worse before it can get better" we got Bush II. For two terms. So maybe I should feel lucky.