Last night we noted that there are still more than a handful Republican holdouts on the "nuclear" option, and defections from just three of them would block Bill Frist from changing the rules. Now the New York Daily News' James Gordon Meek goes a step further in reporting that some Republicans fear they won't be able to line up the 50 necessary votes to rid the Senate of judicial filibusters. Meek writes,

Some Republicans at the White House and on Capitol Hill aren't sold that Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has the 50 senators needed to change the Senate's rules and end filibusters on judges.

"That's what we keep hearing: that Frist doesn't have the votes," said one well-informed GOP aide. "If he doesn't have the votes, then that will force him into some sort of agreement."

We are also reminded that as of this week, at least two more Republicans -- Chuck Hagel (NE) and John Sununu (NH) -- have been on the fence on the issue, raising the number of possible fainthearts within the GOP caucus to 10 (plus the three who have already defected). So the question is, where are your votes, Dr. Frist?

[Update 2:01 PM]: One down, seven more to go for Dr. Frist...

Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., for weeks said he was undecided on whether to back a move by Frist, if it comes. Wednesday, he officially rejected signing on to a compromise.

"I believe that all of the president's nominees deserve an up or down vote," Hagel said, quoted by spokesman Mike Buttry. "The agreement that has been proposed calls for three of the president's nominees not to get a vote. I could not agree to that. That is unfair and it's not right."

Link.