The decision by Senate Republicans to effectively end the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees is called the nuclear option for a reason: it will likely destroy what little comity and bipartisanship remain in Washington.
The move raises the prospect of permanent government gridlock, in an era of coarsened politics and increasingly influential interest groups who demand ideological purity. The ambitions of President Donald Trump, whose legislative agenda was already tenuous, may be further constrained. Even Republicans who voted with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed regret.
