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The federal judges unleashed a proposed congressional plan on Wednesday morning and set a deadline for comments from the various parties: "Recognizing that many are already traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday, the parties are ordered to access these proposed plans and file any comments and/or objections via CM/ECF no later than twelve o'clock noon on Friday, November 25, 2011."

There was, however, a dissent in the footnote on that one-page order: "Judge Smith disagrees. Because filing for office is currently set to begin on Monday November 28 (unless that schedule is stayed or modified), the parties should be required to comment on the  Congressional plan by the close of business on Wednesday November 23 so that the court can get a final order in place for the Congressional plan in plenty of time on Friday November 25 that the parties can take any appropriate action that day."

Friday it is. Candidates are set to start filing for office on Monday, November 28 — a court set date. Filing will be open until December 15. The answer to that next question is, "Yes, the courts can change the dates if they want to."