Tom Udall in Politico.com

On Foreign Policy: Ambassador to New Zealand & Samoa: work on China threats

On Government Reform: Nuclear option: Allow confirmation of Obama's appointees

"I'm just so encouraged now that we're going to be able to--without filibusters--put people on the courts in an orderly way," Udall said. Filibuster reform has long been a marquee issue for Merkley (OR) and Udall (NM). Now, they're looking to expand their change to filibuster rules governing legislation--but that's going to be a much harder sell.

Udall recalled that he campaigned on the idea when he was first elected to the Senate in 2008. Once he was sworn in, he said he began thinking "immediately" about how to most effectively go about campaigning for such a radical change in an institution that runs on tradition.

Critics say they led a movement they don't even understand--they have only served in the majority, and don't appreciate ways that the filibuster has been used to benefit the country in the past.