The Countdown Continues

Rove has rejected the Dems’ deal:

Karl Rove rejected a compromise with Senate Democrats Monday on long-stalled nominations for the federal judiciary…

In an hour-long interview with USA TODAY and Gannett News Service reporters and editors, Rove, deputy White House chief of staff, dismissed suggestions from Democrats that they might drop threats to use filibusters to prevent votes on Bush's judicial nominees if the president would withdraw a few of the most controversial names.

Always a nice reminder that a diabolical political strategist, who can’t be contained by term limits, is running the country.

As an added bonus, here’s an oldie but a goodie from Trent Lott on the nuclear option:

“I'm for the nuclear option, absolutely," Lott has said. "The filibuster of federal district and circuit judges cannot stand. ... It's bad for the institution. It's wrong. It's not supportable under the Constitution. And if they insist on persisting with these filibusters, I'm perfectly prepared to blow the place up. No problem."

Charming.

You may also have heard that since the phrase “nuclear option” isn’t polling well (shocking, that), the GOP is now referring to it as the “Constitutional option.” In a lovely fit of snark, Harry Reid said yesterday:

They’re great with names… On Social Security, they’ve been trying to call private accounts “personal accounts.” They can talk about the constitutional option all they want. It’s privatization, and it’s the nuclear option. They created those terms, and they’re going to wear them around their necks from now till Doomsday.

Heh.