I've got a Q -- please be gentle with the ignorant

I understand that the Senate wants to call a vote that would do away with the filabuster. What prevents there from being a filabuster to block that vote?

:bounce:

The senate would NEVER get anything accomplished....

Frist will make a point of order (that filibusters are unconstitutional) and Cheney, as president of the senate, will rule directly (bypassing the parlimentarian which is normal procedure on a constitutional question) on Frist's point of order. Cheney will rule that filibusters are unconstitutional, it will be appealed (right then by Dems), the appeal is subject to a "motion to table" (set aside & not revisit) and that motion to table only needs a simple majority to pass, thus letting Cheney's ruling stand.

Keep in mind also that the senate adopts their operating rules at the BEGINNING of each congress, and continues to operate under those rules until the next congress. This is a CHANGE in the rules they adopted in January 2005.

Best blogging on the nuclear option:

http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/2005/03/nuclear_option_.html