31.   The longest wait in the history of federal judicial nominations will come to an end by early next year.

32.   The jostling over procedures comes several days before Bush is expected to make his first judicial nominations.

33.   The most contentious fights with the new Democratic majority may come on judicial nominations.

34.   The Pickering confirmation fight is the first full-scale battle over a judicial nomination in the Bush administration.

35.   The Senate still found a way to perform some deft maneuvers around judicial nominations.

36.   The vote marked the first time a Clinton judicial nomination had been rejected after reaching the Senate floor.

37.   The threat of a filibuster and a cloture vote have rarely occurred in judicial nomination fights.

38.   They are urging President Bush to hang tough and keep pushing for conservative principles, particularly on judicial nominations.

39.   To him, judicial nominations are things to be traded for political advantage.

40.   Tom Daschle, the Senate majority leader, has promised that the Democrats will give full and fair consideration to all judicial nominations.