Lines Drawn for 30-Hour Debate (Senate Judicial Confirmations)

Roll Call ^ | November 6, 2003 | Paul Kane

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[LurkerNoMore!]

At any given time Republicans must have two Senators on the floor, one to wield the gavel and the other to speak. Democrats, however, need only one Senator in the chamber, to speak or, more importantly, to object in the instance that a Republican speaker asks for unanimous consent to move to a vote on any of the contentious nominees.

Hey there hobbes. What a cinch for the Dems. Is there something I'm not seeing here? How in the world is this helpful for us?

[XBob]

83- thanks

COSPONSORS(11), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort: by date)
Sen Allen, George - 5/9/2003 [VA] Sen Chambliss, Saxby - 5/9/2003 [GA]
Sen Cornyn, John - 5/9/2003 [TX] Sen Hatch, Orrin G. - 5/9/2003 [UT]
Sen Hutchison, Kay Bailey - 5/9/2003 [TX] Sen Kyl, Jon - 5/9/2003 [AZ]
Sen Lott, Trent - 5/9/2003 [MS] Sen McConnell, Mitch - 5/9/2003 [KY]
Sen Miller, Zell - 5/9/2003 [GA] Sen Santorum, Rick - 5/9/2003 [PA]
Sen Stevens, Ted - 5/9/2003 [AK]

[Lauren BaRecall]

"...and a long unused substance on the senate floor, testosterone."

(Standing ovation, wild applause!)

[hobbes1]

Well, theoretically speaking, it is helpful on several levels.

The simplest first. It will not be easy for the media to ignore a 24/7 filibuster, and the subject is already hurting the other side, (see Yesterdays Nat'l Rev. Online for a good article...)

Going a litle....deeper, It seems a while back Frist filed a notice of proposed rule change in accordance with Senate Rule 5.(Cboldt was kind enough to link to it yesterday)....Now, The Nuclear Option, which the dems have already used, Just Uses a willing chair to rule an objection out of order, and then a simple Majority can steamroll the other 49, but.....(now there is no telling that this is even on the radar screen, but it is a fantastic possibility..)Several Republicans will defect from the Nuclear option, leaving Frist short of 51, However, once the proposed rule change is brought to the floor, it only Needs 2/3 of those senators PRESENT and VOTING to pass, which means that if the Dumbs get caught with one guy in the chamber, you could theoretically pass the Rule Change (amending the rule concerning filibusters as it relates to Judicial Nominees) with two votes.

However, The Lone Dem could call for a Quorom Call, which gives them 15 minutes to assemble a calvary, but if it is say, 4 Am, they may not have the muscle to get over the 1/3 threshold. PLus, it is entirely possible with the Pres. campaigners, a multitutde could leave town During the filibuster, so if Frist maintians Party Discipline, just this once.....And the Dems will not even be able to cry about the having been Nuked, because it will conform Precisely with the Existing Senate Rules.

They Will have been Outsmarted.

[hobbes1]

From NRO yesterday (undersocring my first point)......

[LurkerNoMore!]

It will not be easy for the media to ignore a 24/7 filibuster

But it will only last 30 hours. That is 1 1/4 days. And easy (to me, it seems) to have a quorum standing by during that short time.

Okay, now I'll read the article. :-)