THis vote wasn't to allow a vote like the one you note. The cloture to end debate and allow an up or down vote is later - probably Thursday - and will require 60 votes. I THINK... it's all being mixed up....
It is THIS vote Thursday that we must have any combination of 41 NO votes and no shows.
THe votes in play are the votes that will change depending on amendments being passed or not. I think it'll be hard to achieve cloture. Amendments have folks on both sides - there are senators who will vote NO on cloture unless an amendment is passed ... and there will be senators who will vote NO on cloture if an amendment is passed.
THey got a hard time ahead. Today's vote really isn't a big deal - if I understand it... alhough it sure woulda been nice to kill it today, Harry set it up to make it seem like today was a big victory - it isn't.
I hope you are right. However, this bill does show us who supports amnesty as a general principle, since they could have killed the bill here and then tried to introduce their amendments as stand alone legislation.