Correct me if I am wrong, but don't the republicans just need 50 votes and then VP Cheney can break the tie..? So can't we afford 5 defections? It makes me thin that there are more than 5 "republican" senators who do not support this rule change, because if not it would have been done already.
They don't have 50 votes.
I don't know if VP Cheney has a vote in this matter.