Since becoming chairman, Mr. Specter has tried to position himself as a potential peacemaker on the issue of judicial confirmations.

But much of the recent history of judicial confirmations has been about settling earlier scores from other confirmation fights.

The hearing again demonstrated the deep partisan differences that have defined the committee and the fight over judicial confirmations for the last two years.

That is how judicial confirmations are supposed to work, no matter which party is doing the nominating.

The issue of judicial confirmations has always been wrapped up in politics, never more so than in an election year.

And in 1984, when Thurmond was chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee, judicial confirmations occurred that fall.

You disparage the Republicans' view that 51 votes should be enough for judicial confirmation.

The politics of judicial confirmations has come down to simple math.

In the end, the brutal public battle over judicial confirmations in the Senate comes down to two starkly different men.

Was it a demand for faster judicial confirmations?