US President George W. Bush set up a showdown with Senate Democrats on Monday by re-nominating 20 failed judicial nominees, many of whom had been denounced by critics as "right-wing extremists." The renewed battle over the nominees promises to produce plenty of fireworks as Bush begins his second term with an expanded Senate Republican majority and still-defiant Senate Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, has threatened to change the Senate's rules to prevent any more procedural hurdles known as filibusters against judicial nominees.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has vowed Democrats are "not going to cut and run" from any such fight.
Democrats have also promised to retaliate against any rule change by invoking other procedural hurdles that could bring the Senate to a standstill.
"Republicans would rue the day they changed the rules," Reid has warned.
Democrats blocked 10 of Bush's judicial nominees with filibusters during his first term. In addition, more than a dozen others were left hanging when Congress came to a close last year.
In a statement on Monday, Frist said, "I'm pleased that the president has renominated these excellent women and men ... I'm hopeful that Democrats will work with me to get up-or-down votes on each nominee."
Reid, in a statement of his own, said, "The president is at it again with the extremist judges."
Republicans have voiced hope that some Democrats, as a result of last November's elections, would cross the aisle on at least some of the nominees. Democrats have expressed confidence they will stand together.
A simple majority of 51 votes would be needed in the 100-member Senate to change the rules and end filibusters.
Republicans have said they expect to be able to muster 51 votes. But some in the party have voiced reservations, saying such a move could come back to haunt them in a future Democratic-led Senate.
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