I’m inclined not to believe it.
The Senate is a chummy, chummy club that would never turn its back on one of its own.
They turned their backs on John Ashcroft when George Bush nominated him for Attorney General.
The only Democrats who voted to confirm Ashroft were Chris Dodd, Zell Miller, John Breaux, Ben Nelson, Kent Conrad, Byron Dorgan, Robert Byrd, and Russ Feingold. 42 Democrats voted NO.
Even the widow Carnahan voted against Ashcroft, after he graciously refused to challenge the illegitimacy of her being named to replace a dead candidate who should have been removed from the ballot. Any vote for the late Mel Carnahan should have been treated as a wasted vote, not a vote for an appointment to be named later.
-PJ