Juan Williams says Senator Merkley stands out because of his push to "go nuclear" to end the abuse of the filibuster in the senate.

Williams calede the vote on Capitol Hill allowing a simple majority to approve judicial and executive branch nominees, a gutsy move to break the gridlock.

Senator Merkley says when he first went to Washington as an intern for Senator Hatfield, things were different.  He talked about it recently at City Club of Central Oregon.

"We had a legislative process that worked in the House and Senate and we had confidnece in it.  It was not to engage in a paralyzing process if you're not the majority."

Williams says Merkley's victory was getting senior Democrats, particualrly Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to see changing the filibuster rules as a way to end corrosive, etxremist politics.