Given that, Frist would not have issued his statement this week putting an immediate timeline on the "constitutional option." Unless Frist is a total dummy, he would not have thrown down the gauntlet unless he was SURE that he had the votes to make it work.
Several Republicans will, disgracefully, desert their party and their President at a critical time. But the "option" will succeed, by a vote of either 51-50, or 51-49. This is a done deal, but the AP doesn't have a clue.
Congressman Billybob
I wholeheartedly concur. Frist would NOT have been so decisive if he didn't already have the necessary votes.
Nam Vet
The worst thing that could happen at this point is for Frist to initiate this option and then not get 50 votes. Come to think of it, I would like the Democrats to start doing quorum calls all day. Under Senate rules, even if 51 is officially quorum, you have to have all 100 accounted for. Let him do quorum calls all day and shut down the govt. The less the Congress works, the better off conservatives are. Conservatives win one way or another. It is not an entirely bad idea.
The AP may have a clue, afterall they have been reporting on politics for how many years, but they may be trying to do some Dem cheerleading.
"Unless Frist is a total dummy,"
That is what we are trying to determine.