Media Matters makes a key point on the filibuster agreement

media matters, the excellent press watchdog group, points out something that i and probably many others have missed... in the senate filibuster compromise, a key element called for president bush to engage in more consultation with the senate on nominees prior to submission...

Leading Democrats and their allies were highlighting another part of the agreement: what they asserted was a clear signal to President Bush that he needed to engage in "true consultation and cooperation" with both parties before naming future court nominees, particularly to the Supreme Court.

what hasn't received the press attention it deserves, according to media matters, is that this strong recommendation has been rejected by the white house... (again from the nyt...)

Administration officials and their allies pushed back, saying the agreement would have no effect on their powers to pick a nominee. Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, said the administration would consult as it always had, signaling that it did not intend to change in any substantive way its method of selecting, vetting and nominating candidates for the federal bench, including the Supreme Court.

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