On These 14 Signatures Now Hangs The U.S. Constitution...

[althecat]

Via Daily Kos:
Some of you who are looking at the language may wonder what some of the clauses mean. The understanding is – and we don’t think this will happen – but if an individual senator believes in the future that a filibuster is taking place under something that’s not extraordinary circumstances, we of course reserve the right to do what we could have done tomorrow which is to cast a yes vote for the constitutional option.
- Mike DeWine

But what does this mean in practice?

It means that on these 14 people....



.. now hang's the U.S. Constitution.

Frist had no choice but to accept this agreement as 14 votes is enough on either side to guarantee cloture.

In practical terms it will now be be these 14 who will have to define what "extraordinary circumstances" mean and/or whether this should allow the nuclear option to proceed.

There will also be - again practically speaking - a big incentive for this group to stick together. And so those of you who want to speculate on how this cookie is going to crumble come CJ nomination time have a close look at these names....

Republican side, Mr. McCain, Mr. Graham, John Warner, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Mike DeWine and Lincoln Chafee,

Democratic side: Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Byrd, Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, Daniel Inouye, Mark Pryor and Ken Salazar.

Someone needs to do the math and tell us how many of these seven Democrats need to be gotten to if Scalia is to be promoted?

al

[serryjw]

1. Truth be told.I don't care if Scalia gets promoted....

We replace one neocon with another..I do care that Janice Rodgers Brown will get promoted when O'Connor steps down.

[markus]

2. Chafee and Snow are up in '06

Anyone taking bets on their political life expectency?

Byrd's up too, and older than some of the paintings in the Senate. What are our real chances of keeping West Virginia? I mean when we want to ban the bible and promote man-boy love and light our joints on a burning flag and all that l'brul stuff.

I don't think this deal will last out the year, much less the Congress. But it will certainly not outlast this Congress.

[The Great Escape]

3. As Long As It Is Byrd...He Will Be Re-Elected...

his only announced republican challenger is Hiram Lewis
http://www.bluefieldnews.net/editor/050511-tutte-commentary.html

Actually, the state (WV) GOP is in a bit of disarray. The Repubs would have to go to a candidate of national stature to unseat Byrd and that would still be a tall order. The Democratic Pary in WV is still a force. To assume that the GOP would take one of our senate seats (with or without Byrd) is still a leap.

[paineinthearse]

4. Handwriting analysis

Chafee - looks like grade school printing, incapable of writing. Imagine if one of the signators to the Declaration of Independence had printed. The saying "place your John Hancock on the line" could have a whole different meaning.

Byrd - the poor man does not have control of his writing hand. My heart goes out to him.