The seven Democrat Senators could have executed this plan on their own to avert the Nuclear Option, just by voting for cloture. Senator Frist has no issue to detonate the device if Cloture passes. The Seven Republicans simply gave the Democrats an opportunity to back away with some dignity. That's not such a bad thing.
Senator Reid was happy to retreat with a "Victory Dance" for the lefties. It will be a fine Victory Dance where none of these nominees were acceptable yet the dems vote for 3, the rest get their floor vote and probably pass, and Bolton is confirmed.
RR subscribed to the belief that it is amazing what can be accomplished if it doesn't matter who gets the credit. But once, just once, I'd love to see the press say "those republicans really stuck to their guns and did what was right and they won big." I'd settle for a comment that would suggest this could work to the GOP's advantage.
Everything is framed in the press from the Dem POV. It's a win for the Dems (at the expense of the big bad Republicans), or a loss for the Dems (shocking, something must be the matter. The voters must be stupid!). I'm just sick of it.
/pity party.