Although Senate Republicans have inched closer and closer to ridding their chamber of any and all good will across the aisle, it appears as thought their latest attempt might just fall short of the necessary votes. The Washington Post's Charles Babington does some heavy reporting in this story:

The Senate Republican leader's threat to outlaw filibusters of judicial nominees is running into significant resistance from his party's moderates, who may be poised to quash the GOP's most potent and controversial option for dealing with Democratic opposition to conservative judges.

A handful of party centrists have expressed varying degrees of opposition to the idea of changing Senate rules to bar filibusters of judicial nominees, including those to the Supreme Court. With Republicans holding a 55 to 45 majority, they can lose no more than five colleagues on the issue, assuming that the Democrats and independent Sen. James M. Jeffords (Vt.) stay united, as many expect.

In recent interviews and statements, four Republican senators have expressed deep reservations about the "nuclear option." At least two others appear to be leaning against it, although less definitively, and several have refused to state a position publicly.

It is certainly not clear that the Republicans don't have the necessary votes to invoke the so-called "nuclear option;" just the same, it's not clear that they do either. If this measure is indeed defeated, it will not only enhance the standing of the Senate Democrats, it will also be a victory for Democracy.