Ted Kennedy’s hate-crimes amendment to the defense authorization bill has passed the cloture hurdle. Now, with final passage likely, Republicans are looking for other ways to stop it, ultimately relying on a presidential veto. According to one anonymous GOP e-mailer: “The defense authorization bill is dead if it remains in conference. But what incredible mismanagement by Reid to let this happen, and what a disdain for the troops for Senators to let the bill fail over this sideshow.”