Reply #35: There is another real possibility

[MADem]

They could be politically retarded. Some people simply do not understand how the game of politics is played. They don't understand vote swapping, the horse trading, or any of that stuff that goes on routinely on the Hill. When you try to explain it, they get all pissed off and demand lockstep ideology, which is not how the deals get done. Lockstep ideologues are one-termers.

I am not ready to give up on the defeat of this nomination. I think if we can stall it past the SOTU (and sufficient votes for a filibuster would HAVE to delay the process, else Monkey will be speaking to a half empty room--picture the SPLIT SCREEN coverage; all the networks would cover it, and you could be damn sure that the words from the Senate floor would not be MY PET GOAT--unless they were going for irony--or the DC phone book) AND the Monkey falls on his ass in his performance, there is a huge chance that it could work--a weak SOTU = a weak Pretzeldunce.

There are a lot of 'ifs' in that scenario, but I sense some gamesmanship going on behind the scenes....the timing of this vote is very curious indeed. He wanted it NOW, before his SOTU, and if he doesn't get it, they'll probably have to rewrite four or five paragraphs of his piddling little speech. He'd better hope the teleprompter doesn't go south on him, like it did for Clinton (who was so damn smart, he didn't lose his cool or miss a trick--but then, he was PREPARED).