[maica]

Senator Frist had said that he would call for the vote on Tuesday. The number of hours that then have to transpire brings the actual vote to Thursday. The Dems will have to vote by name on not allowing the Estrada nomination to come to the floor. It will not mean the end of his nomination.

[VRWC_minion]

It will not mean the end of his nomination.

Based on past actions of R's it certainly will. There will be no reason for the rats to be afraid of another cloture vote if the R's don't make them pay for it via a 24/7 and the R's will want to avoid future confrontation at all costs. The rats will have grown bolder and think they found a way to run the senate with 40 votes.

It would be a big mistake to table the nomination.

[Cboldt]

Calling for the vote (on Estrada) is not the same as requesting and obtaining a vote on a cloture motion.

Frist has called for the vote several times, and each time, a DEM Senator has objected.

A motion for a cloture vote has to be filed in advance of the cloture vote, nominally 48 hours before the cloture vote.

At this point, I am indifferent on the need or value to a motion for a cloture vote, and have the feeling the GOP is playing this very well. As you might guess, I am not in the "24/7 now or never" cheering section.