Judicial Nominations - nuclear Option

UNITED STATES - MAY 23: MODERATES STRIKE DEAL TO AVERT "NUCLEAR OPTION"--Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., exchange congratulations after a meeting of a bipartisan group, of which Nelson was a part, of 14 moderates, mavericks and institutionalists, in Sen. John McCain's office, during which they struck a deal that will avert a showdown on the "nuclear option" that had been set for Tuesday. From CQ.com: Under the terms of the deal, Republican moderates agreed to oppose efforts by Senate GOP leaders to change Senate rules that allow the minority party to filibuster judicial nominees, as long as Democrats agreed to sharply curtail their use of the tactic. More immediately, Democrats in the group agreed to cease efforts to block votes on all but two of the most controversial judicial nominees advanced this year by President Bush -- William G. Myers III to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and Henry W. Saad to the the 6th Circuit. (Photo by Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images)