BREAKING: Frist sent cloture motion to desk

[welshTerrier2]

he seems verrrrrry worried about the risk of a filibuster ...

he just sent a cloture motion to the desk because he said he was concerned about a Democratic filibuster ... 4:30 monday vote on cloture and a final vote Tuesday morning (assuming cloture passes - i.e. no filibuster) at 11 AM ...

[CottonBear]

1. Cat Killer should be worried. n/t

[Coexist]

2. CLOTURE MOTION!!!

Sorry to shout.

[LSK]

3. Cloture vote 4:30 pm Monday

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. We gotta get busy...I'm calling moderate Republicans too....

I'll call anybody about right now...We need to gather in the streets IMO as well.

[welshTerrier2]

20. i just called Snowe's office ...

her aide was non-committal but if i was reading her tone correctly i don't think we can count on Snowe ... i hope i'm wrong ...

Snowe is supposed to be speaking on the Senate floor fairly soon ...

[Wordie]

4. You should change the title of your post to say what he's doing!

[welshTerrier2]

23. i agree ...

and i did ...

didn't have the information when i first posted the thread ...

[EFerrari]

6. Kerry is out oof the country. What's going on.

Reid will be left to delay the proceedings.

[kentuck]

14. Kerry should cancel his trip...

whatever it is.. This is more important.

[LSK]

16. where is he going?

[Mass]

17. The vote for cloture is scheduled. that is what matters.

Now they need 41 Nay votes or abstentions.

[EFerrari]

40. That's right. We have a date and now we need the votes. n/t

[ticapnews]

26. Kerry is in Switzerland at an economic conference(many senators are there)

Frist was also out of the country until a couple hours ago. Everyone will be back by Monday...

[WildEyedLiberal]

28. He's in Switzerland with several other Senators both Repub and Dem

So it's not just him, and they'll be back this weekend.

[Mass]

34. Kennedy was here - It is that Reid wanted to do it.

Good news. I hope it means he will vote NO on cloture.

[Coexist]

7. What a tense weekend this will be.

Oy.

[EFerrari]

11. We need to rest up and get our ducks in a row.

I think we can take these guys.

Did you see Frist, cat killer bastiche's face?!

[Coexist]

29. I love to make them unhappy

even if they win - go down swingin', baby.

[hwmnbn]

41. Exactly, I've been saying that all along.....

like a boxer who's outweighed and on the ropes. The repugs have all the branches of government. This filibuster is our swingin' back and throwing caution to the wind. Fuck it, do or die.

If we don't do that we'll lose for sure and who knows, maybe we'll land one or two punches and some fence-sitters will fall our way. This is too important to play it safe with a rope-a-dope strategy. We got to land some serious shots!

Sorry about getting carried away with the boxing analogy.... but I think it fits.

[Coexist]

42. The boxing analogy is quite apt.

Thanks.

[Wordie]

8. Reid agrees...

says everyone has had ample time to talk...?

[ticapnews]

12. They can keep talking all weekend if they want

As long as they want to keep the Senate in session, both sides can keep debating.

[Idioteque]

18. I think what he meant by that...

...was a hint that Frist should let the cloture vote happen without making the Democrats perform a real filibuster.

[Mass]

24. There is no such thing as a real filibuster. The vote for cloture is

scheduled. Those who will vote NO are doing a filibuster. Those who will vote YES do not.

[Idioteque]

32. The cloture vote limits debate, however if nobody is holding the floor...

...a vote is automatically held regardless of whether or not a cloture motion is filed.

[Idioteque]

9. Is he going to make the Democrats hold the floor on Friday and Saturday?nt

[OldLeftieLawyer]

15. They're not in session

They go home to their constituents on Thursday nights.

[Idioteque]

22. Only if the Senate agrees to adjourn...

...if Frist wants, he can make the Senate stay in session as long as he wants.

[Mass]

25. So what. The Democrats refused the UC on cloture. Now it is going to a v

vote. It is all that matters.

[Mass]

19. No, the vote for cloture is scheduled. Now they need 41 votes

[alcibiades_mystery]

27. wrong

The republicans need 60 votes yes. No doesn't need any votes at all. for a filibuster to succeed, the yes votes must fail to number 60. period.

[Mass]

33. You're right. I will be as happy to see some stay home if they dont

want to vote NO.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

10. I doubt he's concerned

It's Thursday, late in the afternoon. They're all heading home for the weekend tonight. They won't be back in session until Monday, so this is the normal pace of things.

[Blaukraut]

13. this is good, actually

Monday was pretty much the scheduled day for the confirmation vote anyway, and the cloture vote will put all those traitors who do not support a filibuster on record.

[Mass]

21. The cloture vote is the beginning of the filibuster.

We need to call all the Democrats to tell them to vote AGAINST cloture.

[jsamuel]

30. isn't abstaining from voting in cloture, just as good as voting against it

[Mass]

31. Yes. The Republicans have to get 60 votes.

[jsamuel]

36. So, it may do us well to "request that those who want to vote yes or who

don't want to filibuster, abstain from cloture for the good of the party"

[Mass]

37. Yes. May be it could work for "moderate" Democrats.

[Blaukraut]

38. According to Frist per CNN

He will get at least 60 if not 70 cloture votes. Supposed backlash to the filibuster by moderate dems. Good, let them go on record.

[Mass]

39. I am already happy because they took a stand. My worst nightmare

was that they would agree to cloture without a fight. Even if it does not work, they will have made their point.

[_dynamicdems]

35. He must be: Reid, Kerry and Kennedy all armed for bear. WooHoo! n/t