Stacking the FEC

So an FEC commissioner was taken out to avoid penalizing McCain for securing a loan to his campaign for the primary with public funds (I think that's what happened?)? Is that really what's going on? And what would the effect be? A report of the nominations, here, utterly confused me.

President Bush May 6 announced his intention to nominate three new members for the Federal Election Commission, a move Republicans said reflects a compromise over the composition of the panel.
Bush said he will nominate Democrat Cynthia Bauerly and Republicans Donald McGahn and Caroline Hunter to serve as commissioners on the FEC, where vacancies and controversies are said to be threatening the panel's ability to enforce election laws this year.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the announcement reflects an attempt to break a Senate confirmation deadlock. Bush is nominating two new Republicans and one new Democrat to serve on the panel.

The president is resisting calls by Democrats to withdraw the nomination of Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department official who was nominated last year but who had not been able to win votes in the Senate to get confirmed. But Senate aides said the compromise will allow a separate vote on von Spakovsky's nomination, which McConnell has consistently refused to consider previously.

McConnell's office said Bauerly is being nominated for the seat currently held by Robert D. Lenhard, whose nomination is being withdrawn. Meanwhile, McGahn is being nominated for the seat that David Mason has been nominated to hold. Mason's nomination also is being withdrawn.

Hunter is being nominated for the seat that was held by Democrat Michael Toner, McConnell's office said.