Defusion?

WaPo:

Aides to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said yesterday that he soon will offer Democrats a compromise on the long-standing impasse, even though a growing number of conservative activists are pressing him to force a showdown now. Democrats predict the offer will be too flimsy to entice them to stop filibustering several appellate court nominees, but the mere fact that Frist is talking of negotiations, they say, convinces them he lacks the 51 votes he needs to change the filibuster rules in a chamber with 55 GOP members.

Do I think he has the votes? No? Even if he did, I can't see the wisdom of losing what Republicans see as an issue that would sink red state Democrats. Why not allow the Democrats to use the option, call them obstructionist, and then sweep to a 60 seat majority come 2006?

It will be interesting to see, if he fails to deliver on his promise, what will happen when Frist gets caught? If he's unable to deliver the majority he's strumpeted about, what impact will it have on his as a Senate leader? Will it take the tooth out of the dog? And what impact will it have on his predicted run for the Presidency with the conservatives who want so badly for him to "go nuclear?"

The Presidency question seems far away at this point, although supporters will surely be disappointed in his inability to cobble a majority on this vote.

As for an impact on his power, well, reality has not had much of an effect of the GOP up to this point, so I'm not sure why that would change now.