Judicial nominations in GOP's hands

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In the wake of a historic GOP midterm victory, Republicans find themselves in control of the entire federal government: the White House and both chambers of Congress. How will the new GOP governance affect judicial nominations -- specifically the Supreme Court?

Democratic strategist Tony Coelho and former Rep. Bob Walker, a Pennsylvania Republican, stepped into the "Crossfire" with hosts Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson to debate the issue.

WALKER: Well, I think very clearly that we will now be able to get judicial nominees out of the Judiciary Committee and onto the floor for votes, and I think once those nominees come out on the floor for votes -- because they are quality people -- a majority of the Senate is going to vote for them. And so, therefore, you've got an opportunity to move judicial nominations of all kinds. The Supreme Court takes more votes than that, but I think that President Bush's judicial nominees and his Supreme Court nominations, if some of those come, will have a very good chance of passage in a new Congress.

BEGALA: And Tony, some of those nominees for the Supreme Court are going to look like the third guy from the left in the evolutionary chart, right? The sort of knuckle-dragging ...

COELHO: The Christian right, who has been playing ball, all of a sudden (is) going to demand their pound of flesh, and that's what we're going to see for the Supreme Court. It is going to be very interesting.

WALKER: I think that's nonsense ... What's wrong with the fact they're Christian?

COELHO: I have no trouble with the fact they're Christian.

CARLSON: You sound like you do.

COELHO: No, I don't. I have trouble with the fact that they are absolute on the right-hand side conservative. And I'll tell you what -- what's going to happen is that they are going to our base, and that's what's going to help us out again. They're going to get our base exercised ...

BEGALA: Bob Walker gets the last word.

WALKER: On the Judiciary Committee, (New York Sen.) Chuck Schumer has been an absolute absolutist, and said that anybody who didn't agree with his philosophy couldn't leave the committee.

CARLSON: He is a total extremist.

WALKER: He is a total extremist, and you guys have practiced extremism. You're not going to see that from the Bush administration.

BEGALA: Oh, we're going to hold you to that.

COELHO: We'll quote you on that one, baby.

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