Boy, he really is just about getting re-elected, isn't he? Anyway, he just told Ed Shultz that there is no need for an opt -out or a trigger provision, because we "have 60 votes". Ed then challenges, and Specter explains about cloture, and that he would expect Loserman to vote for cloture, and then he could vote no on the bill, and that he would expect the same from the other Conservadems. He, explained it of course, as if this "procedural matter" was really somewhat arcane, and somehow the question why this approach wasn't taken from the beginning never came up. He explains that all the Dems really need is 50 plus the Biden, and that he hopes Snowe will come aboard, but then talks about the Republicans as if he never was one.... that they have become the party of "no". Next guy up used the same talking points, also saying that he would expect Lieberman to vote for cloture, and if not, his committee chairmanship could be in doubt. I didn't recognize him, and was to busy writing this diary to catch his name. Hopefully someone else who was watching can fill in more details, like who the guy was.
This fits perfectly with the earlier news that Harry Reid has decided to fight for cloture and believes he can win. I think the fact that Arlen freaking Specter is saying the same thing and throwing both the "opt-out and "Trigger" options under the bus, pretty much confirms it. Now that we have several "Dems" singing of the same sheet music I am inclined to believe the WH and the Leadership has decided to go all in.
We all know the Pres has been working behind the scenes, perhaps with the new polls they gained the needed leverage. Or maybe it was a "Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes" thing. That would be the ultimate rope - a dope, wouldn't it? Let everybody wear themselves out and shoot their wad over the magic "60" vs. "reconciliation", and then pull the cloture move right before the vote? If the Repukes protest, or rather, when they protest, they can simply cite all the times the Repukes did it too... like with the tax cuts for the rich. In that case though, I would bet the Repukes didn't have a poll in their hands showing 57% of Americans supported those tax cuts. The WH can point that out too.
Maybe I am too much of an optimist, but I really think this is significant, really significant.