Protection of the fillibuster boils down to one simple question ...

[Pepperbelly]

Do the 7 gop signatories have the integrity to hold up their end of the bargain?

From the Memorandum of Understanding:

B. Rules Changes. In light of the spirit and continuing commitments made in this agreement, we commit to oppose the rules changes in the 109th Congress, which we understand to be any amendment to or interpretation of the Rules of the Senate that would force a vote on a judicial nomination by means other than unanimous consent or Rule XXII.

Thus, these Senators will reject any option for forcing votes than unanimous consent or the cloture vote as established.

Will Collins, Snowe, Chaffee, McCain, Graham, DeWine, and Warner have the integrity and teh courage to stand up to the pressure when Bonehead nominates Fat Tony as Chief justice?

[Pepperbelly]

1. dang ... no one wanted to speculate? nt

[Mass_Liberal]

2. I think so

I think that these Senators will vote against the nuclear option when called upon. Fact is, these republicans don't like the direction their party is going in. And McCain saw an opportunity to score major political capital... he has not wasted this opportunity. I think that by making this compromise he just torpedoed Frists 2008 presidential chances and set up his own.

[welshTerrier2]

3. OK ... can't let you be stuck answering your own question ...

i agree that it all boils down to one simple question ... i'm not sure, though, that you've asked the right question ...

my question would be whether the 7 Democrats would support a filibuster if bush nominates a Supreme Court nominee who might tip the balance on Roe v. Wade ... they agreed to filibuster only if there were "extraordinary circumstances" ... the question I have is whether their views on the "choice" issue are strong enough for them to consider a "Roe tipper nominee" an "extraordinary circumstance" ...

i've posted the following elsewhere ... note that 5 of the "7 Dems" are not exactly gung ho on the abortion issue ... if 5 of them wouldn't support a filibuster, the Dems might not be able to block a cloture vote ...

from a previous post:

Here is an overview of the voting records of the 7 "compromising" Democrats on the abortion issue as rated by NARAL ... note that only 2 of the 7 received consistently excellent ratings ... that could mean that the possible overturning of Roe might not be viewed as an "extraordinary circumstance" by the other 5 ... my point is neither in support of nor in opposition to the compromise ... it is made only to analyze where the Senate might stand (based on current information) on a possible filibuster of an extreme right-wing Supreme Court nominee ...

NARAL's Rating of the 7 "Compromising" Democrats:

Byrd - erratic
Inouye - excellent
Landrieu - erratic
Lieberman - excellent
Nelson - poor
Pryor - poor
Salazar - N/A