Let me back up and clarify ... if Specter votes for Owen, more power to him, but it's more important to me to get his vote on cloture AND to support any ruling by Cheney that would invoke the nuclear option. I don't think his vote is needed on Owen; his vote is needed on the other two things.
You completely missed my point. My point had nothing to do with Specter. It had to do with getting to the vote WITHOUT invoking cloture.
My speculation may be all wet. But I think a good political approach is to AVOID cloture, and force the DEM Senators to stand one at a time, in objection to taking the vote.