The left is raging, the right is depressed, and the rest of us get to sit back and wonder. Why is the right so bummed out when they get three confirmations and nothing regarding the rest of the nominees? The predictions about Myers and Saad being dead are simply silly. All that came out was the 14 senators in the ‘deal’ could not agree, as I posted earlier, and so who knows what will happen to them.

There are some calmer voices out there:

Instapundit is unimpressed either way, but has links to others.

As I’ve said before, I’d probably care more about this issue if Bush looked likely to appoint some small-government libertarian types to the bench. Since he doesn’t, I don’t.

Others like Professor Brainbridge see an upside for the reps now and into the future

No word yet on what “extraordinary circumstances” means, but I think this is probably a good outcome. Since I don’t believe that the GOP will control both the White House and the Senate for the rest of time, I’m glad to see the filibuster preserved as an option. There may come a day when conservatives need that tool. Plus which, once you abolish the filibuster as to judges, it becomes easy to do so as to all Presidential nominees, and then as to all legislation. At the same time, however, the Democrats’ obstructionism really had gotten out of hand. If threatening to abolish the filibuster blew out the logjam, well done.

Also via instapundit, a note that Hugh Hewitt sees the left’s response as a sign not all is lost. From the link at Hewitt’s site

WASHINGTON, May 23 /U.S. Newswire/ — Statement of Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron regarding deal on filibusters:

“While Alliance for Justice has no interest in seeing the Senate break down, we are very disappointed with the decision to move these extremist nominees one step closer to confirmation.

Lorie Byrd also seems to have settled into a ‘let’s see how this plays out’ position. She does recognize the fact that the media is trying to spin this as a win for the dems.

have been all over the map tonight agreeing with both those who think the deal on judges is a good thing and those who think it stinks. I keep finding arguments on both sides that do make sense. There is some good in the deal, along with the bad. It may very well come down to how the deal plays out in practice. The good part of the deal I keep thinking about is that very soon Owen, Brown and Pryor will be sitting on the bench. One bad aspect, which has little to do with the judges who will be confirmed, is watching the media fall all over the “moderate” senators.

Of course, all the moaning on the right give the MSM amunition to make the case. If the right had laughed this off as spin covering a democrat retreat the MSM spin would not hold up. What I wish did not happen was the conservative bloggers fall for the trap.

The conservatives have been looking for the issue that would crack the democrat party between the hard line left liberals and the moderates who hold out hope for the democrat party. And now that we have it, too many are missing the opportunity by joining the circular firing squad.

Check out Democratic Underground’s response and tell me this is not roiling the left.