Does Cat-Killer Have The Votes?

[Dinger]

This includes soon-to be ex-Democratic Senators.

[Freddie Stubbs]

1. If he didn't

He probably would have taken Reid up his compromise, and declared victory. If this goes to a vote and he loses, he looks like a fool, even to Republicans.

[Skink]

2. I voted no to try and make the exit polling look more believable

[Roland99]

3. How many do they need? I've gotten confused of late.

I keep hearing various numbers.

57, 67, 51, 60.

How many votes are needed to change what rules? It seems to vary.

[bearfan454]

5. 50 with Cheney n/t

[democracyindanger]

9. Here's a rundown

from the WP, although it may make things even more confusing...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/17/AR2005051701425.html

[Roland99]

14. Ah, ok, thanks.

That makes it scarier that they are making up rules and breaking existing rules in order to get their way.

Simply and utterly DISGUSTING!

[EST]

15. He's gonna get the president of the senate (Cheney)

to rule that the judicial appointees may not be filibustered, that they shall not be subject to unlimited debate. This then forces a simple majority vote which the republicans, with their superior numbers, are sure to win.
This is the whole reason for not allowing an "up or down" vote on these creeps, which would allow these "worst of the worst" judges to be seated and as the current crop of mainly middle-of-the-road supreme court justices begins to retire, they will be replaced with far out r/w criminals; allowing the hordes from Hell to remain in power indefinitely. (shudder)

[Roland99]

16. You know, if it comes down to Cheney casting the vote

I think that will hurt the GOP a lot more than if the Senators did it.

[EST]

21. You are expecting Bushevicks to act like normal people.

The Banner 'Neocons rule the universe!' waves over a crew of sleazoids who truly are not like us. The milk of human kindness and respect is bitter gall to them.

[Roland99]

22. Well, the more moderate or fence-sitting Republicans (like I was)

will see it as a move of utter arrogance.

[EST]

23. I desperately hope they do!

I sadly fear that the neocon horde has no plans (ala the Iraq war) that include ever becoming the minority party. This is a take-no-prisoners war between the crooks and liars, who have hijacked the aura of all that is good and beautiful and made it into the most deceptive Fascist tool ever contemplated, and the people you'd like to live next door to.

[Roland99]

25. Well, see, I don't think most Republicans are neocons

That's just a select group. I think it's just the right has tended to flock together and stick together and toe the party line. The Left is more apt to think things through more which leads to a less cohesive whole. That's why the left is broken into more factions (Democrats, Green, Reform, etc.) while the Right is just the GOP.

The neocons take advantage of the sheep and browbeat them into submission with endless propaganda.

[EST]

26. Thanks!

Though I know better, I still can't rationalize how a man, or woman, can get up in front af a basically empty room but with a fairly sizable TV audience and lie, obfuscate, deliberately misconstrue and misrepresent over and over again, while claiming some sort of special dispensation from "God" as well as expecting to be referred to as "honorable" and trusted.
Even the good ones are bad and the bad ones--simply indescribable.

[Roland99]

27. Greed and false faith

[nickshepDEM]

4. Well, lets do the math...

Snowe, Chaffee, and McCain have all already stated that they will not vote in favor of the nuclear option.

Sununu, Warner, and Hagel have all expressed deep concern regarding the nuclear option.

Collins is on the record saying, "She has made up her mind, but isnt telling."

Specter is always a wildcard.

We need 6 Republicans to flip. (As long as every Democrat votes with us.)

We have 3. We need 3. That means 3 of the following must flip and side with the Democrats. Sununu, Warner, Hagel, Collins, and Specter.

My opinion... If Frist had the votes, he would have already gone Nuclear.

[bearfan454]

6. Good point.

I think he already would have done it too.

[nickshepDEM]

7. Plus...

A couple Senators may abstain.

[dhuss]

11. I think Specter will end up voting with us...

He's been talking in his speeches pretty bad about the nuclear option. he's in favor of Owens but against the option...

D.H.

[TheFarseer]

20. I think he isn't sure and is waiting to find out for sure

One side says, "he would have already done it if he had the votes" and the other side says, "He would have taken one of the compromises if he didn't have the votes" both sides make sense so I think he just doesn't know yet.

[woodleydem]

24. Collins seems to vote with Snowe all the time. And didn't she say the

right wing groups that were bombarding Maine with advertising were really irritating her? I think Hagel will end up voting with the Dems as well, which puts us at 50 votes, including Jeffords. Specter or Warner has to fall for us, and I see Specter more likely than John Warner.

[havocmom]

8. Threats, blackmail, $$, they will do whatever it takes to keep the lemming

conga line moving the way they want.

Still think that little lost airplane and Evacuate the Capitol! stunt was a reminder to the august institution of the US Senate that they can be replaced by their state governors if they get too independent.

I also firmly believe that killing the filibuster as a tool will be an admission that the elections are fraudulent and outcomes are totally controlled. As repulsive and unAmerican as they are, the GOP is not stupid. If they have any doubts that they will ALWAYS be the majority, they would not do this.

Then again, once they get Ashcroft and some clones on the Supreme Court (which is really what this is about) they could always vote to change back and allow filibuster. That would be a good sign; it would mean they haven't got all the ballot boxes securely under their pogrom just yet.

[safi0]

12. When First's people

said the nuclear option will occur on Tuesday I knew he had the votes.

[gkhouston]

17. that could just be mind games

Frist keeps delaying and delaying and everyone is thinking (probably correctly) that he doesn't have the votes. If he doesn't call for the vote, and soon, it's gonna be obvious he can't pull it off. This could be a squeeze play and he's going to do everything he can to pressure those sitting on the fence. Calling the vote could make the fence-sitters think that some of the other fence-sitters have already jumped, so they might as well, too. I suspect some major arm-twisting is going on behind the scenes right now but I'm not sure Frist is going to be able to pull it off.

[Stinky The Clown]

19. That was for the sundaymorningyakkers

If he needs to delay (and I think he does) he'll cast it as being reasonable and open to listening.

He's made his pact with the devil (Dobson). He gives Dobson judges and he gets the Fristian right in 08.

I think even some repubs will smell the odious stank and abstain or flip.

[democracyindanger]

10. What's with the 'ex-Democratic Senators' bit?

Doesn't make any sense.

[dhuss]

13. He's saying any Dems that vote for the option

will be voted out in 06

D.H.

[Dinger]

18. I'm A "She," But You're Right (nt)

[blondeatlast]

28. From your lips to God's ears...

DINO is a DINO is a DINO.