Are any Senate Democrats on the fence re: the filibuster issue?

[wildflower]

I know it's important to contact Republican senators, but I was wondering if there's any chance at all that any Democrats are on the fence?

If so, it would be very important to contact them as well.

-wildflower

P.S. Who are the best Republican senators to contact?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. I haven't heard of any, but I'd like to know as well.

I'd also like to know Republicans on the fence too.

[safi0]

2. As far as Repugs

Who would be against it, I think you've got the usual suspects Collins, Snowe, Chafee, McCain, Specter and some others.

[wildflower]

3. Good advice; thanks. n/t

[hopein08]

4. I'd add...

Thad Cochran, Chuck Hagel, and George Voinovich to that list (according to an article -I think Washington Post- that I read yesterday).

If I remember correctly, there are 2 Repugs who will not support it, three that won't make a promise to support it, and 2 who will not say either way.

[wildflower]

7. Thanks for the info

I'll see if I can find an article on it.

ON EDIT: I found this from March 3; I'll try to find something dated later.

Column: Nuclear winter comes to the Senate
...

As the Senate currently stands, there are 55 Republicans, 44 Democrats and one independent who caucuses with the Dems. So Frist could lose the support of five GOP colleagues and his plan would still go through. According to a Feb. 16 article in CQ Today, Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Lincoln Chafee, both Republicans, are firmly against the measure, and maverick John McCain is "leaning against it." GOP senators Susan Collins, Gordon Smith, John Warner, Chuck Hagel and George Voinovich are all undecided.

http://www.gwhatchet.com/news/2005/03/03/Opinions/Column.Nuclear.Winter.Comes.To.The.Senate-884114.shtml
-wildflower

[wildflower]

8. A later article on this, listing the names

Of the 55 Republicans in the chamber, at least six are undecided or adamantly opposed to the plan of using the rare parliamentary procedure to end the filibusters with a simple majority vote, rather than the 60 votes normally required.

...

In addition to Miss Collins, three other Republicans say they are undecided but have serious reservations. They are Sens. John W. Warner of Virginia, John McCain of Arizona and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

...

Firmly opposed to the measure are Republican Sens. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, who cite concerns about protecting the minority party and avoiding a Democratic promise to halt most Senate business.

...

But other Republican senators have not said whether they are for the option, against it or undecided. Much of that attention centers on Sens. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, John E. Sununu of New Hampshire, and George V. Voinovich of Ohio.

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050323-121608-8533r.htm

(I know it's the Wash. Times, but it's from March 22.)

[Mass]

5. Lieberman and Nelson are still suspect

When the Democrats wrote their letter threatening to block the Senate if they changed the filibuster rule, these two Senators were absent from picture taken on the Capitol steps, though they signed the letter. Nelson (NE) said he was writting his own modification to the filibuster rules.

[wildflower]

6. I was afraid of that.

I'll try to find out more on this.

ON EDIT: I found this from a March 15 MSNBC article:

Key Democrats: Nelson, Lieberman

Conspicuous by their absence from Reid’s Capitol steps event were two Democrats: Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who has voted against all but one of the Democratic filibusters since 2003, and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Both men are up for re-election next year, and Nelson is running in a state Bush won with 66 percent of the vote.

David DiMartino, a spokesman for Nelson, said the senator has indicated that he will not vote for Frist’s proposed rule change. Instead, Nelson is working on a proposal for a permanent rules change that would allow the majority party to circumvent the filibuster. Nelson would require a specific time frame for the Senate to vote up or down on a nominee.

Under Senate rules, Nelson’s proposed change would require 67 votes in order to take effect, which makes it unlikely to pass in the current environment.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7193614/

-wildflower