A good AP story on why the compromise produces no obvious winners

[AlGore-08.com]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/05/24/national/w154613D36.DTL

Special Interest Groups Lose on Filibuster

The right got winged, liberals lost and Republican Leader Bill Frist had his Senate powers hijacked. The agreement to allow yes-or-no votes on some of President Bush's stalled judicial nominations produced other losers, a few winners — and many in-betweens. Did the president come out ahead? Sen. John McCain? Did the GOP or the Democratic Party gain the upper hand? Has moderation seized the Senate?

Those and other questions won't be answered until the real fight, when one or more of the Supreme Court justices leaves the bench.

(snip)

While some liberal groups focused on the preservation of the filibuster, others couldn't ignore the fact that the compromise freed up several Bush nominees who had been bottled up by Democrats.

"This deal is more of a capitulation than a compromise," said Rep. Melvin L. Watt, D-N.C., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

"This victory comes at a heavy price: The near-certain confirmation of at least three nominees whose contempt for constitutional liberties and disregard of precedent make them manifestly unworthy of judicial office," said John Podesta of the Center for American Progress.

(snip)

If they're disappointed in Frist, social conservatives are downright angry at Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. The deal was cut around McCain's table, a fact that conservatives say they won't forget if he decides to seek the presidency again in 2008.

"I think McCain is going to suffer," said Chuck Hurley of the Iowa Family Policy Center. "He's a great war hero and I think he meant well, but it will be proven to be a mistake."

(snip)

Who won? Who knows. Even Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean was hesitant to call the deal a victory for his party.

"We know that we were able to land a blow on the chin of the right wing," he said. "What we don't know is what the Senate is going to do if the president succeeds in nominating another extreme person to sit on the Supreme Court. Until we know the answer, we won't be able to look back and see if the compromise was worth it or not."

(more... )