IMMEDIATE DIVIDENDS:

Owen Nomination Nears Vote as Senate Agrees to End Debate (CARL HULSE and CHRISTINE HAUSER, 5/24/05, NY Times)

The Senate voted today to halt its debate over one of President Bush's appeals court nominees, setting the stage for a vote on her confirmation later today or Wednesday.

The 81-to-18 vote ended efforts by Democrats to prevent the Senate from approving the nominee, Priscilla R. Owen, by threatening a filibuster. It came after a compromise was reached Monday night by a bipartisan group of 14 senators that defused a potentially explosive parliamentary showdown over eliminating Senate filibusters against judicial nominees.

"We've got a chance to start over," Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, one of the 14 who helped forge the agreement, said. "That's why I voted to start over. And I hope we've learned our lesson."

All 55 Republicans voted today to end debate. So did 26 Democrats, some of whom are expected to vote against Justice Owen in the confirmation roll call. One of those was Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the minority leader.

Ms Owens was rejected by the judiciary committee back in September 2002 and four previous cloture votes have failed. Tomorrow she'll be a federal judge. Thanks, Senator McCain.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 24, 2005 6:12 PM