Lindsay Graham said on the night of the "deal" that he would vote nuke if the Dems reneged on the promise to not filibuster, DeWine and Warner said the same thing. McCain said so later as well.
The deal was a face-saving move for the Dems and it has not worked out well for them. The liberal newspapers have started running articles against the "deal" now that they realize they didn't win anything except a postponement of nuclear vote if they continue their obstruction.
We will not let Roberts be filibustered, if he is, the nuclear option will be quickly invoked. The Dems are going to scream and kick but I don't think they will get the gang of seven Dems to filibuster Roberts as "extreme". It is only these seven that matter:
Lieberman
Nelson (NE)
Pryor
Byrd
Landrieu
Salazar
Inouye
There are 55 Republican votes for cloture, and 38 likely votes against cloure (not counting the Dem 7 dealers). The Dem leaders need three of these seven Dems to agree to filibuster to stop cloture with 41.
If there is a filibuster (because three Dem dealmakers break their word), it will only take two of the Republican dealmakers (the seven are McCain, Warner, Graham, DeWine, Collins, Snowe, Chafee) to say that the deal is off, the Dems lied, and to go nuclear and change the Senate rules.
The first four Republican dealmakers have said they would do so if the Dems filibuster a qualified nominee again.
The Dems are squarely between a rock and a hard place.
Lieberman contacted Sppecter tonight & said filibuster unlikely .....
Blanche Lincoln is too beholden to the NARAL crowd to say anything which will get her noticed. She is in a catch 22. lol!
She's been surprising me alot lately. I think she will vote yes. I know I'm gonna e-mail the hell outta her office. And call it to boot.
GREAT clarification of the "deal".
I'm amazed so many still don't understand what happened there.
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