I haven't read the whole thread (it's long and it's late), so pls pardon the repetition, but:
I don't think Frist has the Nuke votes anymore. McLame and group won't let it happen....they'll lose all their clout.
You may be right, but there are TWO places for the gang of 14 to hang on to power.
One is at the cloture vote. If cloture is affirmed, then the vote on the nomination will occur. This is the DEM promise to "not filibuster." No filibuster, no nuke. I expect the cloture vote to be reversed on reconsideration, and a vote to proceed on Bolton. Caveat, my predictions have been consistently incorrect ;-)
The second one is the vote on the point of order. This is the one where "doesn't have the nuke votes anymore" plays directly. Whether he has the votes or not, he has expressed that if pressed to do so, he will cause 100 Senators to put their sense of the matter into effect, and on the record, via a vote.
I sincerely hope that the GOP is willing to go to the mat for all nominations, not just judicial nominations. I hope that because that is what the constitution calls for.