Senate poised to begin judicial fight

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http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3360347&nav=0Rcea07v

(Capitol Hill-AP, May 18, 2005, 9:04 a.m.) It's a step toward next week's expected confrontation over banning judicial filibusters.

President Bush's nomination of Priscilla Owen returns to the Senate today. At issue is whether the minority party can use filibusters to keep judges from getting lifetime appointments on the highest courts.

While debate on Owen's nomination begins today, a test vote on her nomination to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is expected next week.

If it fails, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist plans to call for a vote on banning judicial filibusters, a move dubbed "the nuclear option."

Frist insists that all judicial nominees deserve up-or-down votes.

Democrats prevented final votes on ten of the president's first-term appeals court nominees. They have threatened to do the same this year to seven people the president renominated.

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