No, McCain said he'd vote for that kind of a nominee, Bennett recalled. Same thing for Bush nominee Miguel Estrada — not an "extraordinary circumstance."

Remember, Bennett said, the "nuclear option" only applied to federal court nominees. Filibustering any proposed law or presidential appointments to non-judicial posts such as the controversial nomination of John Bolton to be U.N. ambassador, is still allowed.

On other matters, Bennett said he is about to introduce his Bush-endorsed bill addressing impending insolvency in Social Security.

Bennett is looking for one Democrat co-sponsor, believing if he can get one, a half dozen "other olives will tumble out of the bottle" and enough support to pass it in the Senate. "But who knows what will happen," he added.

Finally, Bennett said American soldiers can't ensure a successful result in Iraq, but the people of Iraq can.

On one side is "a win," which he defines as a secure Iraqi government that can control its own borders and security within the country.

On the other side lies civil war, a Taliban-like religious government and an oil-rich nation that could "provide all the revenue the terrorists could need." The stakes are great, Bennett said.

A secure, democratic Iraq between Syria and Iran "would change the region, and thus change the world."

But the United States can't win the war against terrorist within Iraq. "Only the Iraqis can do that," Bennett said. And success toward that end is being made, he added, noting Americans wouldn't know that from reading and watching most of the American presses' reports on the country, he added.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com