So is it likely the stimulus fails in the senate?

[Drunken Irishman]

Anyone know?

When will the vote happen?

[AndyTiedye]

1. Yes. The Repiggies Will Vote in Lockstep Against It, Just Like in the House

We need 60 votes to beat the automatic Repig filibuster. We don't have 60 votes.

It turns into a game of "chicken", which we can never win, because our constituants are much more vulnerable than theirs.

It will be the Repig bill or nothing.

[Life Long Dem]

2. No. We are going to have a stimulus. It's the version that up for argument.

Repubs want tax cuts to pay for the stimulus.

[sofa king]

3. I don't know how he's going to pull it off, but I think he will.

He's got Senator Byrd pulling for him, so if there is a path to chart through the rules, it will be charted.

A more direct approach would be to simply target a handful of the most pliable and vulnerable Republicans and either cut personal deals or expose them to unwanted attention. Not more than five or six need to be neutralized to enable a cloture vote. Not less than twenty or thirty Senate Republicans are carrying the sort of baggage they'd rather not have publicly discussed, and lord knows what Jack Abramoff told the FBI, or how close they are to making their moves.

If I were President, I might be assembling rotating heats of Republican Senators who will roll over on command, find themselves out of town on critical dates, or "accidentally" cast a cloture vote. This President is far more clever than the author of this post, so expect to see something more subtle and less obnoxious, but also more effective.

Republican Senators are still bobbing their heads and doing the game-cock strut, but when the wolverine is thrown in the ring with 'em, I think they'll scatter in a cloud of feathers, just like the pussies in the House did.

[snowsman]

4. It will pass. Olymbia Snow at least, is said to back the stimulus

all the Dems. would need is 1 more senator from the gop.

[Thrill]

5. Ben Nelson is having backroom meetings with Republicans. Democrats usually lose when that happens

see Bush Tax Cuts

[firedupdem]

6. I don't know because we have some punk ass dems like Nelson

who aren't for it.

[CTLawGuy]

7. no it will pass

Ben Nelson et al will need to be mollified, but I predict 35-37 votes against it and the rest in favor. There are more moderate GOPers in the Senate than in the House (where there are basically none because we defeated them all).

I think at least Collins, Snowe, and Specter are in favor.

[Wabbajack_]

9. Castle and Kirk

moderate repus in the house...that's about it. But they both voted no with rest. Senators are harder to whip.

[DCBob]

8. It will pass with some revisions. Only need a couple of Repubs to block the filibuster.

It sounds like Snowe and Collins are voting yes and probably a few others. I have heard of only one Dem who might break - Ben Nelson - but last night he sounded like he was on board if there were some changes made.

[DCBob]

10. Voting on amendments begins today and the final vote should occur by the end of week..

Once passed then it will go to conference for a compromise version and the plan is have it totally passed and signed before the Presidents Day break. We shall see how all that works out.