They can huff and puff but they won't mount a successful filibuster

Kyl and other pukes, along with the miserable Nelson of NE can posture and stamp their feet in order to demonstrate to their wingnuttian constituents, but they won't be able to successfully filibuster Obama's SC nomination. Obama will nominate someone sqarely in the mainstream- whether its Granholm or Kagan or Wood and the pukes won't be able to get the numbers to filibuster. In order to get someone like Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins on board, Obama would have to nominate someone who is clearly out of the mainstream- something he won't do. Nelson will not filibuster. He may vote against the nominee, but he won't step over the line and filibuster.

This is all pre-emptive sound and fury to appeal to their base and to try and influence Obama's decision.

In other words, it's an empty bullshit ploy.

I totally agree with your assessment. Obama is not going to risk a political embarrassment with this nominee. And we have SUCH a good selection of women candidates, it will be a smoother path.

The pubs are thinking back to the days when Roberts and Alito were nominees. the world has changed and they still have that old mindset...

i`m not that optimistic because there`s to many quislings on the democratic side.

one thing is for sure--it`s going to be interesting

they absolutely will not join a repuke filibuster. and with the exception of Nelson you haven't heard a peep out of them. It's posturing. The repukes just don't have the numbers.

He's famous for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

It's getting depressing to watch this Congress. On one hand you laugh at the weakness of the Republicans, but on the other you cry because you're forced to witness so many Dems voting as if they WERE Republicans. You wonder whether maybe the joke is on you.

All it would take (assuming the Honorable Senator Reid has the courage) is to simply halt proceedings in the Senate and force the filibuster crew to stand up on the podium and talk 24 / 7 for the duration of the filibuster. They would not make it to sundown before it ended.

Instead of just threatening to do so. Harry has the power.

Also, I was surprised to hear that a Senate Leader also has the power to ignore "holds". Harry has never used THAT power, either.

Threats don't work. What we need is a Senate leader that will take action. We have the best majority in the Senate a party could hope for. The Republicans only have 39 Senators, and when we seat Al Fraken, we will have 60.

Message to Harry Reid:

The voters gave you the power to act, now use your power to crush the Republicans and get President Obama's first nomination through conformation.

I want the first person the President nominates to go through on the first vote. The repukes are in the minority on this one, and they shouldn't be allowed to have their way. Nominations to the Supreme Court are wholly the President's call, and the minority needs to sit in the corner and watch.