Democrats on the judicial filibuster: compromise or capitulation

When will the Democrats stop letting the Republicans define every situation and then figure out how to compromise/capitulate? Serious differences are emerging over last night's Democratic compromise/capitulation on judicial nominations.

TalkLeft: the politics of crime says:

"One day after the awful compromise on filibusters, Republicans already think they can use the same strategy to force a compromise on social security. [Sen.]Lindsay Graham [R-S.C.] says:

"Some who forged the deal expressed hope that the agreement would create momentum for compromise on other knotty issues, such as Social Security and immigration.

"Watch this group when it comes to major problems that the nation faces, like Social Security," said Graham, "I think we have created momentum for the idea that if you constructively engage each other, the political reward is high."

Unfortunately, he's probably right. My trust is gone right now. The Democrats said they would not back down on Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown and they did. Why should we believe they won't back down on privatization?

This is quite different from MoveOn's evaluation of the same events:

"President Bush, Bill Frist and the radical right-wing of the Republican Party have failed in their attempt to seize absolute power over the courts. Together, we've stopped the "nuclear option" — for now.

"Last night at 7:30pm, with only hours to go before Senator Frist rose in the Senate to try to break the rules and seize power to appoint extreme judges, 14 senators announced they had struck a deal. As powerful far-right leader James Dobson put it, "This Senate agreement represents a complete bailout and betrayal by a cabal of Republicans and a great victory for united Democrats...The rules that blocked conservative nominees remain in effect, and nothing of significance has changed."

"For once, we agree with Mr. Dobson. With 7 Republicans pledging to oppose Frist's scheme as long as the Democrats stick to the standard for filibusters they've used all along — only using them in extraordinary circumstances — the "nuclear option" is dead unless Republicans break their word. And if that happens we will be in a much stronger position to stop them."

I guess if you invest as much as MoveOn has in defeating the so-called Nuclear Option, you can't help but declare it a victory. But if it doesn't scare you, just on its face, to agree with Dobson-one of the leaders of the crazy right-giving in on three of the most anti-Democratic judicial nominees should. When will the Democrats stand up for anything? What do they believe in?