All Deals Off?

Jesse Holland of the Associated Press reports that Majority Leader Bill Frist has said today that he will not accept any compromise on the nuclear option unless it involves up or down votes on all disputed judicial nominees. This after a NY Times article this morning suggesting that a deal was in the works under which the Dems would accept votes on several of the controversial nominees in exchange for the Republicans' taking the nuclear option off the table. Said Minority Leader Harry Reid, "There is a way to avoid the nuclear shutdown, and I'm working with my colleagues to put that plan in place."

In the face of mounting public reluctance, uncertain vote counts, and contrary to any sort of long-term rational strategic thought except his own presidential ambitions and the promise of suckered evangelical votes, Frist today said "no deal" to anything but total victory for the "Justice Sunday" crowd. Senator Frist has all along said that he favors 'compromise,' but apparently he doesn't want to understand that compromise involves give on both sides.

This is very unfortunate, and I continue to hope that cooler heads will prevail. Rumors have been circulating today of various possible compromises (various reports have McCain working on one, Lott and the Benator working on another, etc.) and the RINO hopes that one of those efforts will prove fruitful.