On Fox News Sunday, it was suggested that if the Dems don't have the votes (the RINO votes) to stop the nuclear option their best strategy is to allow a cloture vote to succeed after they filibuster the Circuit Court nominees. This would preserve their "right" to filibuster the Supreme Court nominees and give them more time to lobby the seven or so RINOS who might change their mind, particularly if they don't like the Supreme Court nominee.
On the Frist side, if he doesn't have the votes then I think he will not force the issue. He will just delay and start writing his memoirs now since his Presidential hopes will be gone, gone, gone.
Thus the logic is that the nuclear option will NOT HAPPEN NEXT WEEK. If Frist has the votes the Dems will fold temporarily and that will delay the vote to the timeframe when the first USSC nominee is presented to the Senate.
We do live in interesting times.
If the DEMs don't object to moving to the vote, there won't even be a need for a cloture motion.
The filing of a cloture motion is a concession that Rule XXII is a proper route to follow for judicial nominees, regardless of the outcome of the cloture vote that will come on the second day after the motion is filed. Some Democrats would have to vote for cloture in order to obtain the 60 votes required to move to the vote.
I don't have a prediction as to how it will play out, just summarizing a couple of paths that are short of a rules change (or rules reapplication, see Rule XXXI) the way that I understand them.