It's A Gamble.

John McCain just made a bet that will either give him the '08 nomination or condemn him to political extinction. A risky gamble for this guy. But say what you like about him, taking chances is what he does best.

He is betting that this compromise with the Democrats will get all the judicial nominees that we wanted through with no filibuster (or a filibuster that makes Democrats look like they broke a deal, which would be excellent for us) and we didn't have to use the nuclear option and we look like reasonable negotiators.

If this works, then McCain will look like a hero. If it doesn't, then he is toast for the '08 nomination. But his odds are looking pretty good. If the Democrats threaten a filibuster when a clearly qualified judge comes up, then the Republicans look like they have a clear right to use the nuclear option. No amount of cartoonish ads are going to change that.

For social conservatives nothing is more important than getting a strict constructionist on the Supreme Court. If this happens and we win-

So does McCain. Mark my blog.