Here’s how the behind-the-scenes blather goes: Specter coaxed Leahy into a delay, a sort of gentleman’s agreement not to vote, and then the GOP started whining publicly about the delay they, themselves, had asked for…all the while using said delay to kiss up to Feinstein. Word is that both Trent Lott and Mitch McConnell played to Di’s sense of “fairness and integrity,” and that Lott did so by asking DiFi to give Southwick a second look see interview.

When she did so, Southwick came in and turned on the Southern charming man wattage, and won her over with his “nice guy” persona, hideous judicial record be damned.

Once Di’s mind was changed, the GOP ratcheted up the whining about their vote delay, until they bugged Leahy into setting a vote. Once it was set, several of the other Democrats on the committee realized that DiFi was changing her vote, and informed Leahy of that fact — and told him that he needed to speak to Feinstein about it. Feinstein’s staff says that she told him herself prior to the vote, but I’ve heard from more than one source that isn’t what they heard.

Senate leaders like Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) have accomplished what once seemed like an impossible task-- gaining approval of judicial nominee Leslie Southwick by the Judiciary Committee after weeks of bitter politicking by the Democratic members. In a move that surprised her own party, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) cast the deciding vote in a 10-9 decision to approve Southwick three months after Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) promised to act. Siding with Republicans after weeks of unflattering obstruction by Leahy himself, Feinstein and nine Republicans ensured that Southwick would have the courtesy of an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor.