Very simple. Either all 7 of the Dems in the "gang of 14" honor their commitment not to filibuster, or all 7 of the Pubs in the group vote for the constitutional option. No problem.
Right. Susan Collins has not even decided if she is going to vote for Alito. Snowe just reluctantly announced her support. You expect them to support the constitutional option? And those are just two of the problems.
now if stevens and ginsberg would both die
i would have to think about this anymore.
I think the Dems believe they'll win the presidency in '08.
With a minority in the Senate or a bare majority in the Senate, they would need the rules change about voting on judges in order to get their justice nominees approved.
But...the Constitution was written with the nomination process intended to go forward. It was not written with a bizarre Senate rule about unlimited debate in mind.