[betty boop]

There are republicans, too many of them, who will jump ship if it comes to a nuclear option vote. The nominee will then fail.... I think we need to walk down that road to prove that point.

I think you are exactly right about that, xzins, and the Senate shall virtually certainly provide that demonstration/object lesson soon enough. If anything, not a few of those guys are trying to distance themselves from the President in the run-up to next year's elections. They would prefer to campaign on local, not national issues -- at least, that is what I'm hearing right now.

I have a modest proposal, since it is clear to me that the "nuclear option" likely would not survive the caving of "our own people" in the Gang of Fourteen. My modest proposal is pretty simple, really: If the Dems want to filibuster the President's next "controversial" nominee (and all the President's nominees are "controversial," doncha know?), let 'em do it; but make 'em do it "the old-fashioned way."

That is, restore the original Senate rule regarding the filibuster: It must be done around-the-clock, with no "time-outs" or breaks. The floor must be continually held 24/7 in order to keep the filibuster alive. You've seen the "old-fashioned filibuster" if you ever saw Jimmy Stewart's great movie, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

I wonder how many senators on either side of the aisle would be up for something like this. Which is why it could be a most useful rules change. Might improve the level of seriousness and self-discipline over there.

[AmishDude]

The problem is that the rules of the Senate are such that 50 opposing Senators have to be on hand to make a filibuster like that work.

So if it were a genuine filibuster by one Senator, it works. But if we force the Dems to be there, we have to stay there too. And I'm sure there are at least 6 Republicans whose health would not allow them to stay in the chamber for a few days.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you for the excellent suggestion! Indeed, if they want to filibuster, make them do it the old fashioned way.

[mosquitobite]

Wonderful advice!!! :D Love it!

[Cboldt]

That is, restore the original Senate rule regarding the filibuster: It must be done around-the-clock, with no "time-outs" or breaks. The floor must be continually held 24/7 in order to keep the filibuster alive.

This is an example of the type of thread that I would have provided a substantive response to, a month ago. Now, I will say only that you misunderstand the ways the Senate rules work now, and have worked in the past.