[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

The quorum call is apparently used to get 51 senators to the floor. Apparently, we had 49 Pub senators there on Weds night, but only a few Democrats? It seems to me the onus is on the ones who want to close debate rather than on the ones who are filibustering. With a quorum, can't one of the Democrats ask for a cloture vote?

How can the Pubs keep the Dems on the floor talking while letting the Pubs rest, without quorum calls.

The Democrats don't want a successful cloture vote, and an unsuccessful vote just continues debate, which is what they want. So they will not call for one. The Republicans can "keep" them on the floor by standing firm. If all 51 Republicans stay firm, the Democrats cannot win. All the Democrats can do is drag this out and hope that a few Republicans decide it's not worth the fight. If the Democrats give up the floor during the debate, i.e. they don't Filibuster, they lose.

[Political Junkie Too]

The Democrats don't want a successful cloture vote, and an unsuccessful vote just continues debate, which is what they want. So they [Republicans] will not call for one.

But, isn't it also true that Republicans don't want to call for a cloture vote on a judicial nominee because of the precedent that would set? Isn't that one of the "traditions" in the Senate (respecting the president's right to nominate judges) that the Senate (Democrats) would be trashing by establishing the precedent that a president needs 60 Senate votes to appoint a nominee instead of 51, thereby effectively ceding the power to appoint judges to the Senate?

-PJ

[RandyRep]

Thanks for the answer.

So the only way to get the nomination to the floor for a vote is to keep debate open (with Democrats speaking) until the Democrats ask for mercy, and enough agree to vote for cloture.

How do the Dems lose if they give up the floor? Does the nomination then go to the floor without a cloture vote?

The Pubs need a quorum to keep debate going - otherwise they adjourn, right? It seems to me that this works against us - the Pubs have to be there full strength, but the Dems don't.