Six Senators Needed to Save the Fillibuster

[Moooooo]

The LA Times reports on the six Senators who could save the fillibuster:


The arithmetic is fairly straightforward. Frist says he needs 51 votes to change the filibuster rule, and there are 55 Republicans in the Senate. One of those votes can come from the vice president, who as president of the Senate can vote to break a tie. That means to win the fight, Frist may be able to change the rules if he loses five senators; Democrats can win if he loses six.

Two Republicans — John McCain of Arizona and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island — have said they will vote with the Democrats against the rules change. Four other senators have said they have concerns about changing the rules and are considering voting against it. They are Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, John W. Warner of Virginia and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. More are rumored to be privately opposed but fear voting against their leaders.

Seeking to win their support, Democratic leaders divided Republicans into what they called "responsible" and "radical" members of the GOP.

http://www.latimes.com

[Moooooo]

McCain and Chafee are not a suprise, but I wonder why Sen. Warner (VA) is having second thoughts?

[Shira]

I wonder why Sen. Warner (VA) is having second thoughts?

Because he was married to Elizabeth Taylor.

[Brandon H]

On the other hand, 5 Democratic Senators are needed to stop filbustering so there would be no need to consider the nuclear option.

[bullmoose88]

McCain and Chafee are not a suprise, but I wonder why Sen. Warner (VA) is having second thoughts?

I always thought Warner was sort of a proceedure defender.

Then again, once you start looking at the moderate republicans who might vote no, you have to start looking at the democrats who could flip...Lieberman and those from "Red States"-Landrieu etc...

[A18]

The Republicans should quit acting like a bunch of women and make the Democrats actually filibuster these judges.

[bullmoose88]

The Republicans should quit acting like a bunch of women and make the Democrats actually filibuster these judges.

I kind of agree on that point. Make em read out of the phone book again. That would be interesting.

[angus]

I wonder why Sen. Warner (VA) is having second thoughts?

Because he was married to Elizabeth Taylor.

like who wasn't?

try fitting that list into a phone-book.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Personally, I don’t see why the GOP is so eager to start the political pendulum swinging the other direction.  Once all three branches have been thouroughly Republicanized, they won’t be able to blame liberal Democrats the next time things go wrong.

[A18]

http://www.factcheck.org/article317.html

According to Sarah Binder & Stephen S. Smith, authors of a 1997 book on the history of the filibuster:

The right to extended debate was not created until 1806, when the Senate cleaned up its rulebook and dispensed—probably by mistake—with the rule that allowed a majority to limit the debate. Filibusters did not begin in earnest until the newly formed Democratic and Whig parties formed several decades later.

[M]

Hmm... How about Dino Rossi, Mark Kennedy, John Hoeven, Tom Kean, Jane Abraham, and Mike Johanns. Might as well throw in Jeb Bush, Tommy Thompson, and Mike Steele for good measure.

[Moooooo]

Hmm... How about Dino Rossi, Mark Kennedy, John Hoeven, Tom Kean, Jane Abraham, and Mike Johanns. Might as well throw in Jeb Bush, Tommy Thompson, and Mike Steele for good measure.

Michael Steele?  Baaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahah.

[Peter]

The Republicans should quit acting like a bunch of women and make the Democrats actually filibuster these judges.

I kind of agree on that point. Make em read out of the phone book again. That would be interesting.

I would actually love to participate in a good ol' fashioned filibuster on a couple of the crackpot circuit court nominees.

My preference wouldn't be anything as mundane as the phonebook however. Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation published by the GPO runs to over 2000 pages in the first edition alone, not to mention the couple of supplements they've added on since. At least we could educate the Senate and media whilst they waited.

[A18]

The Senate would be better served to just read the damn Constitution.

[opebo]

The Republicans should quit acting like a bunch of women and make the Democrats actually filibuster these judges.

Sexist.

[MissCatholic]

It wont happen. so we just have to expect another filibuster.

Do republicans know that democrats have accepted 205/215 nominees.