President Barack Obama may have won the chance to continue appointing federal district and appellate judges, but his nominees still will have to navigate the same partisan political realities on Capitol Hill that have caused so much gridlock in the past two years.
Democrats retained control of the Senate in the November 6 elections, but they still do not have the 60 votes needed to get around the Republican filibusters that have repeatedly stalled confirmation votes this year, even on noncontroversial nominees backed by Republicans.
