[Political Junkie Too]

It goes back to the Miguel Estrada nomination in Bush's first term. Schumer first announced his ideological test because of this.

The "nuclear option" was devised to break the Democrats block of Estrada by using the parliamentarian to bypass cloture. It was called the nuclear option because it "blew up" regular order and tradition.

-PJ

[kabar]

I understand where the term came from. But Reid is the one who first invoked the “nuclear option” for judicial and cabient level appointments. So what the Reps are doing now should be labeled the Reid option. We have already crossed the nuclear threshold with Reid who blew up regular order and tradition.