They need 60 votes to prevent a fillibuster. The same republicans who threatedned to do away with the filibuster in 2005 are planning to attempt a filbuster now. Ah the comedy of it all.

"Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley said Wednesday that he will vote for President Barack Obama’s $900-billion economic stimulus bill if an amendment providing low-interest mortgages is added."

Keep up the reasoned, pointed discourse. Humans are social animals too, not just jackasses, and we live by the intelligence of our negotiations as well as our instincts. Your post was right.

Cynicism is a dead end on this news cycle.

...then he needs to resign and let someone be appointed who can.

Politics, my dear boy, is about people. Not stuffed animals, not rainbows and unicorns, not people the way we wish they would be, but people the way they are.

Which means good public policy has to be fought for, argued for, compromised for, and finally, in one sense or another, bought.

Wishing for people to behave properly is precisely what Democrats have done since the time of Reagan's ascendancy.

Finally, I'd rather be a cynical jerk than a hopeless naif.

Switch to the light side now! Change to a Dem, and while we can't promise an easy primary, it would avoid the ugliness that awaits you on the current path. There's plenty we disagree about, but if Obama can accept back-stabbing Joe-mentum, he'd be happy to have you as well.

Mean, greedy, selfish people.

"I'd like a pony. And an end to world hunger. And world peace. Oh, and not to have to worry about whether I'd locked my door. Why don't we get rid of money, too, while we're at it, and just take what we need, and give to others what they need?

Let's change everything we know about human nature and biology. This survival of the fittest stuff--I really wish nature weren't so much about it, and more about "live and let live.""

Wow. THAT's your response to my wish that politicians actually behaved like honest responsible adults? Like PATRIOTS? Like people who love their country, rather than just wearing flag pins and putting their hands on their hearts while listening to a song?

Wow. And I thought I was cynical. But you take the cake.

Your answer showed what a jerk you must be.

Shut the government down. Obama goes on TV and says, "I tried talking. They won't listhen. The reason there is no stimulus is Republicans are reading phone books on the Senate floor rather than helping the American people."

Every time Dems have actually stood their ground against Republicans they win. They public BELIEVES in their policies. What they need is a reason to believe in the Democrats actually implementing those policies.

Because as we can see by the rank desperation and anger demonstrated by the right-enders on this and every other comment site and board on the net, the Rubaughs (pronounced RUBE-ohs) who listen to Rubaugh himself will punish these guys far beyond reason (by firing squad, if they thought they could get away with it).

There will be screaming, wailing, gnashing of teeth, and a generally-deafening, whining, keening, hubub arising from the outer darkness at these three Senators who have chosen to come to the light and courageously demonstrate that they love their country more than their party by supporting what all reputable economists (and, no, the Miltonians no longer count as reputable economists since it's all too clear that the Friedonia to which they have taken us is not even remotely humorous), say must be done.

Congratulations, good luck and blessings to all those who put country, their fellow humans, and the well-being of this planet above political ideology!

To all you others, you will no longer be allowed to continue to curse the rest of humanity with your selfish, self-serving, only-self-interested attitude and your bad behavior (thank God).

Please reference where in the Constitution it says that Dems need 60 votes to bring a vote.

Otherwise, please stop parroting MSM/GOP talking points.

Not as long as the Democrats have this for a Senate Majority Leader:

http://www.funny-potato.com/jellyfish.html

To punish Specter, the Republicans will run a wingnut against him that will surely lose against a Democratic opponent? That's amazing.

"I really wish American politics weren't so much about "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" and more about "let's run this country as best as possible.""

I'd like a pony. And an end to world hunger. And world peace. Oh, and not to have to worry about whether I'd locked my door. Why don't we get rid of money, too, while we're at it, and just take what we need, and give to others what they need?

Let's change everything we know about human nature and biology. This survival of the fittest stuff--I really wish nature weren't so much about it, and more about "live and let live."

Rush Limbaugh will not be pleased.

(1) "three GOP senators have cut a deal" -- Why does this make me queasy in my tummy? I mean, I know politics is all about quid pro quo, but this sounds almost as blatant as Blago. What are they getting? I really wish American politics weren't so much about "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" and more about "let's run this country as best as possible."

(2) I still don't see why 60 has to be magic number. I'd LOVE to see the Repugs holding a filibuster about this. The entire country would be interested, I think. The Dems should call their bluff -- I bet they'd cave.