NOAM SCHEIBER on the filibuster deal:

So a deal has been struck on the filibuster. Republicans will allow Democrats to keep the filibuster as long as Democrats never use it. This way, both sides win (except for the Democrats).

Once again, the Republicans have shown their skillfulness when it comes to resetting parameters. Until recently, the perception had been that Bush had consistently filled the courts with extreme conservatives, with only a handful of truly batty nominees failing to meet the standards of Democrats. Now, facing the threat of the “nuclear option,” Democrats have backed down on these as well.

Well, the compromise certainly seems to have produced bipartisan unhappiness. I don’t know if that’s a mark in its favor or not.

UPDATE: Josh Trevino is unhappy, too, but for different reasons.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Oops, my mistake. That’s not Noam Scheiber, but T.A. Frank, who’s filling in for him at &c.