By now you know that the Senate has reached a deal regarding the contentious judicial nominations that were in line to be filibustered, thus triggering Sen. Frist to invoke a rule change in the Senate (aka “the nuclear option”).

The deal at a glance:

• Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor will have up-or-down votes.
• The remainder of the current crop of nominees (William Myers, Henry Saad) will be filibustered, most likely.
• The senate rules will not be changed during the 109^th^ Congress.
• Thus use of the filibuster can continue against future judicial nominees, but only in extraordinary circumstances (whatever that is).

The sound you hear is the wingnut right weeping and gnashing their teeth: Time’s Blog of the Year is really pissed, James Dobson issued a terse press statement, Michelle Malkin is ticked, and the Freepers are flailing around in agony.

Sweet!

All gloating aside: I see this as a victory not because the wingers didn’t get everything they wanted, but because I’m glad that rancor and bitter, partisan sniping did not totally carry the day. Triggering the nuclear option would have been the final nail in the coffin of any semblance of comity that was left between the parties. Anyways, we need these people do get back to work.

By the way, Harry Reid is the man. What class.