This is a GabFest Extra, the nuclear option.

I'm David Plotz, the editor of Slate here in Washington.

It's Thursday, November 21st.

And since our regular GabFest this week is a live show about the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination,

we decided to produce a quick extra about the Senate Democrats vote today to limit filibusters on presidential nominees.

Joining me from New Haven is Emily Bazelon, Slate Senior Editor.

Hello, Emily.

Hey, David.

As I mentioned, 52 Senate Democrats today voted to change Senate rules and eliminate

the use of filibusters against most presidential nominees.

That includes President Obama's nominees to the D.C. Circuit Court, several of whom

have been blocked by Senate Republicans in recent months. The new rule means a nominee only needs 51 Senate

votes rather than 60 votes to win confirmation. The end of the filibuster will also apply to

cabinet appointments and other lower level presidential appointments, but not to Supreme

Court nominees or to regular bills.

Getting rid of that, I suppose, would be the thermonuclear option, the H-bomb option.

Republicans are denouncing today's vote, although if they win back the Senate in 2014,

they might find themselves quite pleased to have this rule change already in place,

or certainly if they win back the Senate and win

the presidency, that they might want to rule like this. So, Emily, is this rule a good switch?

Is it good that we've gotten rid of this part of the filibuster?

Yes, I am in total feeling of ding-dong, the witch is dead, partly because I've just hated

...