This Roll Call breaking news report explains the breakdown: “Reid attempted to cut a deal with McConnell, dicing up the block of nominations and holding a separate vote on each nominee. But by mid-evening Wednesday, both sides remained at an impasse: Reid wanted a 51-vote majority to confirm each of the four nominees; McConnell demanded a 51-vote majority to OK von Spakovsky’s nomination, but a 60 vote margin for the remaining three.” Neither side is budging, at least not publicly. More here See this latest oped by Gerry Hebert and Joe Rich. (See also this letter to the editor.)
Regardless of how one feels about the von Spakovsky nomination, the very real prospect of an FEC lacking a quorum of members as the presidential race really heats up is troubling indeed.