[JURIST] Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist [official website] said Tuesday that the refusal of federal judges to intervene in the Terri Schiavo case [JURIST news archive] will not influence an ongoing struggle between Republicans and Democrats over judicial nominations by President Bush. Frist said that the two issues were not associated and that he felt the judiciary was fair and independent. Frist's comments come after some Republicans, including House Majority Leader Tom Delay [official website], have criticized federal judges for failing to intervene to keep Terri Schiavo alive. Delay and other conservative lawmakers have planned a two-day conference titled Confronting the Judicial War on Faith [official website] for Thursday and Friday. Senators have remained deadlocked over judicial nominations by President Bush, with some Republicans suggesting that the filibuster be eliminated to allow the nominations to proceed. Frist said negotiations between the parties were continuing over the nominees. AP has more.