April 26 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Senate Republican leader Bill Frist said he wants Senate votes on all of President George W. Bush's disputed judicial nominees, rejecting a compromise sought by Democrats that would allow votes on some of the judges.

``From day one, my goal has been to get up or down votes on judicial nominees,'' Frist told reporters today in Washington. ``If by compromise you mean I will shift from my principle, then no.''

Richard Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said yesterday Democrats may be willing to compromise if Republicans drop some of the most objectionable nominees. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada is considering a plan that would let some judges be confirmed in return for preserving Democrat's right to filibuster Supreme Court nominations, according to a Democratic senator who requested anonymity.

The confrontation over judges escalated last week when the Senate Judiciary Committee sent to the full Senate two of Bush's judicial nominees whose confirmations were blocked by Democrats in the president's first term. Senate Democrats prevented votes on 10 nominees in the last four years.

In February, Bush resubmitted seven of the 10 names. Frist, of Tennessee, has said he may seek a rules change that would end filibusters of judges and permit judicial confirmations with the support of 51 votes. Republicans control the Senate 55-45.

Democrats say they have the right to try to block those nominations with a filibuster, a tactic that takes 60 votes to overcome. Democrats are threatening to bring Senate business to a crawl if Republicans prevail in changing the rules.

Nuclear Option

Frist said he still wants to talk to Democrats about ways to avoid the so-called nuclear option, the name lawmakers have given to the contemplated rule change.

Karl Rove, Bush's deputy chief of staff, in an interview published today in USA Today, rejected a compromise with Senate Democrats on judicial nominees.

Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York, called it ``disconcerting and surprising'' to see an aide to Bush tell the Senate how to conduct business.

``Senator Reid has said publicly that the president told him that the White House would stay out of this,'' Schumer, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said on the Senate floor today. ``It's clearly not the case.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Cathy Dodge in Washington at cdodge1@bloomberg.net and

Last Updated: April 26, 2005 12:50 EDT