Harry Reid on AAR now. 2 short on Filibuster

What are you hearing?

Says the Senate/Cheney want to make Bush king.

they're currently two votes short, but four senators are on the fennce.

Oh, and here's a link to the media player of Boston's AirAm affiliate--they're running Schultz now.


:headbang:
rocknation

says Dems are 2 votes short on nuclear option vote.
Says Murkowski, Hegal, Collins and Spector are the ones to convince to vote no.

McCain onboard.

discussing last hour chance for a deal...it's not there.

tune in.

dp

He has said that minority rights are more important than these nominees. That means Hagel is key. I'm not holding out much hope for Collins or Murkowski. This thing is either going to be 50-50 with Cheney breaking the tie or it's going to go down 51-49.

other tricks up their sleeve.

Please, expand.

has been reached. Let's see how this pans out.

What's her deal, anyway?

There are many instances where she's doing a good job but others where she seems to have totally blown it! Pretty much a toss up where her vote will lie.

Susan Collins (R-Maine)
One person who has not been at the center of compromise negotiations is Collins. Although she is to the left of most Senate Republicans on many social issues, she also chairs the Armed Services Committee and tries not to provoke leadership unless she has to.

Collins is considered more likely to vote with Frist than her Maine GOP colleague, Sen. Olympia Snowe, who is up for reelection and who has publicly called for a compromise. "I voted to invoke cloture on Priscilla Owen last year," Collins told a group of reporters. "I certainly intend to do it again."

Collins says she has made up her mind on how she will vote on the nuclear option but is hoping a compromise will be reached. "I believe the Democrats have overused and abused the filibuster," she said.

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/051905/rules.html

Doesn't sound too good to me as far as her vote on this. Sounds like she leaning toward a yes vote on the nuclear option.

The Party p0wns Senator Collin's (R-MBNA) co-dependent soul.

They put a horse's head in her bed -- Brunswick, Limestone, Portsmouth -- and she got the message. Of course, the base closures will be 'reconsidered' -- and closed again. Because she'll keep coming back for more.

Rememer that her only civilian job before politics was as communications director and campaign consultant for other politicians.

Absolutely no vision -- and not facing re-election for five years.

I'm a Mainer. Collins has become somewhat of a lap dog for Bush. She's been praised all over by the administration. She's like one of their darlings now..more so than Snowe. I think she believes there are big things ahead for her in the party but, of course, will have to be very faithful. She's basically a stupid twit - I'm not just saying that. You should have heard her debates when running for re-election. Our gal walked all over here because she was just plain stupid. Of course now there is another situation here in Maine. We went ALL Dem last time (both houses of legislature, govenor and didn't have to split our electoral votes because we were pretty solid Kerry). Bush has just marked this state for extinction with the Portsmouth Naval Yard and Brunswick Naval Airstation on his hit list. Mainers hate Bush with a passion now BUT she is not up for re-election in '05 but Snowe is. Thus, I have a feeling it's sort of 'good cop-bad cop' time. Snowe pleases the crowd by flipping finger at Bush and Collin's sucks his member and gives the repubs what they have been wanting forever (judiciary control)and thus, perhaps, saves the Portsmouth facility.

being present?

I don't know much about her other than I remember one of my profs saying that she was basically a dimwit who was appointed by her daddy under some dubious circumstances. That's not exactly giving me a profile in courage kind of vibe here.

...that Susan Collins is the dumbest senator in Washington. Ugh! And to think that she represents this state.

I am in agreement with the other Mainiacs here: forget Collins. I've called her office, but hope to god I don't receive one of her shit-for-brains letters.

I can see it now: the close-up of ODS (our dear susan) moving her mouth in that weird way and saying: "Well, I just think that pResident bush deserves the nominees that he has chosen if they are qualified. Mainers are very fair-minded people.. and this is what they would want.

Chellie Pingree, president of Common Cause, ran against Collins; it's just hard to overcome all that MBNA moola.