I’m hearing that Republicans now have at least 50 votes to change the rules–which means at least 51 if you add Cheney. Senator Byrd’s hysteria helped pad the total.

And if Michael Crowley’s reporting in the New Republic is correct–and I have no reason to think it isn’t–the Democrats have no idea what to do about it. Senate Democrats have vowed to shut down the Senate if Republicans end judicial filibusters. But the Democrats don’t want to be accused of shutting down the government or hindering national security, there aren’t many Republican agenda items that they can block any more effectively than they already are blocking them, and Democrats want to get pork passed just as much as Republicans do. Crowley’s conclusion: An “increasing number [of Democrats] are desperately hoping that Frist’s bomb never detonates.” So while the Republicans are almost guaranteed to get very bad press for ending the judicial filibuster, it’s not clear whether they’ll face serious retaliation from the Democrats.