[jackbill]

I don't know why Frist doesn't call the vote NOW.

I have confidence that Frist will pull the trigger within a week or so.

Fox News Special Report listed seven "Republican" Senators tonight who were either opposed to nuking the filibuster, or sitting on the fence.

Four were definitely opposed - Chafee, McCain, Snowe and Collins. Three were on the fence - Hagel, Specter and Warner. I believe that it was Major Garrett who was reporting. He allowed as how most people believe that Specter and Warner would go along with the party - Specter because he owes a debt to Santorum and Warner because he is a chairman of a major committee.

That leaves Hagel - the wild card. We have to get to him and make sure that he knows that the "base" will spit on him if he doesn't go along and then tries to get the nomination for 2008.

[SolomoninSouthDakota]

WE can afford to lose five, correct?

[wmfights]

I think we are starting to see why Frist hasn't pulled the trigger on the constitutional option. We have too many RINO's in the party. We need challengers in the primaries and as voters we need to have memories. I know where my donations will be going in the next election cycle.

The fight is not over its just not going well.

[tet68]

Specter because he owes a debt to Santorum

I think Specter had a real "awakening" when he caught
the tenor of all those E-mails not so long ago.

[Dog Gone]

I don't know why Frist doesn't call the vote NOW.

We want to get the highway bill passed first. After we pull the nuclear option, we can expect Rat filibusters on every bill, at least for awhile.

[Soul Seeker]

My thoughts...

I am convinced, now, that Frist is serious about ending the filibuster. I'm even coming to believe HE has the spine to do it (though the spine of the majority of ep Senators I still question). But I'm also of belief he doesn't want to do it unless he believes all the votes are rock solid.

If that means this drags on much longer, I find it unacceptable. I'd rather have them on record and then commit a year and a half to targeting the defectors than allow the cowwards to bluster and have it both ways when running for re-elections.

I do have the sense if this vote is ever going to happen it'll be next week. I never felt it would be this week with Bolton's vote on the agenda. I do think Bolton's vote is a precursor to this vote. I encourage all to carefully follow the committee proceedings concerning Bolton tomorrow.

Spectre has not been as bad as the Mavericks, but he isn't reliable. He DOES owe Bush, Santorum and the Republican voters that took a chance on him in the primary rather than going where their hearts preferred with Toomey. The question is whether Spectre will honor that debt. Santorum's re-election chances may ride on him. If he proves a decisive vote in ending the filibuster than Santorum is partially redeemed as the main objection to Spectre has always been his history over Bork.

Given the behavior of Voinovich, I cannot trust Warner will vote as we would think he would. Lott is also proving suspicious. Best advice is to target all Reps and all Dems rather than limiting to a few. There are only a handful...maybe so much as a dozen I would trust to be dependable on the issue.

[AFPhys]

_I_ sure am watching... and I DO vote every primary.

[LibertarianInExile]

"I have confidence that Frist will pull the trigger within a week or so."

Oh, for a nickel for every time I read THAT statement.