[FairOpinion]

Frist is planning for a showdown next week.

Those of you in the states of the critical, wobbly Republican Senators, may want to let your views known.

Seven Republican senators may hold the fate of President Bush's judicial nominees in their hands as the Senate nears a final showdown over whether Democrats can keep filibustering controversial White House court appointees. They are from top left, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., Rep. John Sununu, R-N.H., Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.; from bottom left: Sen. John Warner, R-Va., Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio. (AP Photos/Files)

[xzins]

What can they offer these Senators?

Cover.

Let them offer a deal in which there is a cooling off period after the first cloture failure by a nominee. If the president brings the nominee back a 2nd time AFTER a "cooling off" period of 6 months, then at that point cloture must require only a majority vote instead of a super-majority.

What it boils down to is this. Rather than give ANY nominee an up or down vote, only those nominees the president INSISTS upon after debate and reflection MUST receive an up or down vote.

[Trajan88]

These fence-sitting Republicans must be seeing the glass half-empty and are looking to make "friends" with the Democrats - the party of "no" sees only an empty glass.

To all these Republican fence-sitting senators... wake up or Mr. Rove will put the hammer down - RNC money will dry up, plumb committee posts will go to others, and all that pork will be redirected to those that care about this country's future.

The one thing I would do would be to sit these wafflers in a room and make them read the wacky decisions by the 9th Circuit.

Trajan88

[strategofr]

This much I can guarantee: if it comes down to Arlen's vote, he will vote against us. If Arlen determines for sure that hsi vote will not be decisive, he will make a big show of supporting the Party.

[ken21]

you watch, the clintons will pull out their fbi files, and out of fear of being outed, one will turn coat.

[F16Fighter]

The [RINO] senators are Susan Collins of Maine, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, John Warner of Virginia, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Sununu of New Hampshire.

Specter...Specter...Sphincter...Specter...the name sounds familiar...

Could it be the same liberal Arlen Specter Dubya Bush campaigned for during a hotly contested senatorial race against conservative Pat Toomey who lost by a measley 1.5%?

Hmmmm....

[Theodore R.]

Sununu should not be on the list. He said on "Capital Gang" tonight that he wants up-or-down votes on judicial nominees. He will support the rules change.

But those other six are about as reliable as one-legged clothespins!

[Wiser now]

I contacted Mike Dewine a few weeks ago on this issue. I have an e-mail from him assuring us of his support for a simple 51 vote majority for judicial nominees.
I have no reason to believe he has changed his mind.

[Always Right]

I see Snow, Collins, and Specter as lost causes. The best the GOP can do is a 50-50 tie.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

The senators are Susan Collins of Maine, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, John Warner of Virginia, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Sununu of New Hampshire.

The usual RINO suspects.............

[woofie]

These Senators are extreme moderates

[hosepipe]

Lisa caves on this and shes toast in Alaska..
Alaska is very RED... Lisa is appearing to be baby blue..