[Poohbah]

After a while, the threat seems empty. I say that now is the time to force one and see how it actually goes. Let's see how sustainable it is, how the public would react, how the sides will form, how genuine or disengenous the positions and players are.

We got a taste of it in 1995, when the Dems provoked a train wreck.

It didn't go well for us.

If Republicans win (with Bush's help), then we regain momentum as the filibuster weapon will have become disarmed.

And the price tag for losing is much too high.

hchutch, need your ops order from 6/4/42...

[hchutch]

You mean, the one that goes:
"In carrying out the task assigned....you will be governed by the principle of calculated risk, which you will interpret to mean the avoidance of exposure of your force to attack by superior enemy forces without prospect of inflicting, as a result of such exposure, greater damage to the enemy."?