Bush Renominates 20 Failed Judicial Nominees

President Bush set up a showdown with Senate Democrats on Monday by renominating 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. [more]