So ... at least 5, and maybe 7 or 8, Senate GOPers have not been invaded by NRA cooties for at least this initial fight ~ doesn't mean they will definitely vote for any regulation package ~ but rejecting another knee-jerk filibuster is itself good news ~ Sooz

Getting the gun debate started in earnest
By Steve Benen - Tue Apr 9, 2013 2:20 PM EDT

Before anyone can speculate on the outcome of the legislative fight to reduce gun violence, there's an initial hurdle to clear: the announced filibuster on the motion to proceed in the Senate. Increasingly, it appears that's a fight Democrats will win.

As of yesterday, the number of Senate Republicans vowing to filibuster this initial step -- effectively demanding unlimited debate on whether to have a debate -- had quickly risen from 3 to 15. The fear among gun-safety advocates was that this would continue, and practically all Republicans would soon join the bandwagon, killing legislative reform efforts in their infancy.

But that's not what's happening. On the contrary, we're seeing largely the opposite. Just this afternoon, Sens. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) all said they intend to allow a debate on the gun legislation. They join Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), who've said the same thing.

I talked to a Senate Democratic source this morning who sounded optimistic, at least as far as the motion to proceed is concerned. Indeed, if there are 55 members of the Senate Democratic caucus, and five Republicans are already on record saying they will not support the filibuster, that's 60. [Update: Kelly Ayotte, and Susan Collins would bring the total to 62]. One Senate Dem, however, may throw a curveball.


Pressed on whether he'll allow the Senate to have the debate, Baucus said that's "to be determined."

It may not matter if a few more Senate Republicans -- say, Susan Collins and Mark Kirk -- also announce their opposition to their party's first-step filibuster, but Baucus' antics raise new doubts about the ultimate fate of the legislation.

And while that's worth watching, all of this may be coming to a head very quickly.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is looking for some movement by this afternoon.


Some of the details of a possible Manchin/Toomey agreement remain elusive, but the gist of the plan would close the gun-show loophole, but leave a private-sales loophole intact.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/04/09/17673576-getting-the-gun-debate-started-in-earnest?lite

This is very good news ~ as Steve Benen notes below [emphasis/bolding is mine], it only clears the way to begin debate/negotiation ~ but it will stop any GOP/TP filibuster plans cold ~ and it will put senators on the public record "for" or "anti" regulation ~ Sooz

A sudden reversal of fortunes for gun reform
By Steve Benen - Wed Apr 10, 2013 8:00 AM EDT

Just a few days ago, proponents of measures to reduce gun violence had reason to feel discouraged. There had been little progress on finding a background-check solution that could advance, and the only real movement was the growing number of Senate Republicans vowing to filibuster the debate at the outset. The White House was trying to apply pressure, but it was seen by the media as a sign of desperation.

This morning, conditions appear to have improved considerably.


So close, in fact, that Sens. Manchin and Toomey have scheduled an 11 a.m. press conference to announce their bipartisan agreement.

We do not yet know the specific provisions of their deal, but the Manchin/Toomey bill will reportedly close some of the existing loopholes on firearm background checks: sales at gun shows and online would require background checks under the plan, but sales between private parties would not.

It's no small development: not only were expanded background checks of any kind in doubt, but both Manchin and Toomey are conservatives with "A" ratings from the National Rifle Association. Their role in reaching an agreement lends it the bipartisan credibility reform proponents were hoping for.

Will this scuttle the GOP's planned filibuster on the motion to proceed? Probably, yes.

As Rachel noted on the show last night, there are now 10 Senate Republicans who have said they'll vote with the majority to advance the gun bill to the floor for debate. Given that number, even if a few red-state Democrats balk, there should be more than enough votes to end the filibuster. Indeed, the 10 doesn't even include Toomey, and given all the trouble he's made to work out a bipartisan deal on background checks, it's unlikely he'd kill his own bill before it even reached the floor.

And that sets the stage for an interesting day tomorrow.


It's important to clarify a procedural point: tomorrow is not about voting on legislation to reduce gun violence. Rather, it's about approving the motion to proceed, which will begin the Senate's process in earnest, clearing the way for a floor debate and votes on amendments.

I emphasize this because tomorrow isn't the last hurdle; it's the first hurdle. In fact, many of the senators who vote with the majority tomorrow may very well end up opposing the final bill itself, and many of the Republicans who balk at the filibuster tomorrow are very likely to support a filibuster of the same bill before final passage. Even if there are 60+ votes tomorrow, which is now very likely, that does not guarantee that the legislation itself will ever receive an up-or-down vote in the chamber.

This is, in other words, an endurance race, and tomorrow's vote will determine whether the legislation can clear the starting blocks. Gun-reform proponents have reason to be optimistic, but only about getting the race underway.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/04/10/17686423-a-sudden-reversal-of-fortunes-for-gun-reform?lite

i heard they have 10 senators that will oppose the filibuster, now. it is coming to the floor.

I'll believe it when I actually see it as nothing more than another bit of underhandedness by the Republicans.

This buffoon has been in office for about 3 months now ~ he's proven himself to be an attention-whore from day 1 ~ but he has to be stone-cold stupid to not see the connection between "background checks" and "keeping guns out of criminals' hands" ~ ~ Sooz

TPMLIVEWIRE
Ted Cruz Remains Committed To Blocking Gun Control
Sahil Kapur - 3:33 PM EDT, Wednesday April 10, 2013

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) "remains committed" to filibustering gun control legislation after a bipartisan deal on background checks was announced Wednesday by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA), his office said.

"[T]he senator remains opposed to expanded background checks as they inevitably set a path to a national gun registry," Cruz's spokeswoman Catherine Frazier told TPM in an email. "He remains committed to his plan, along with Sens. Paul and Lee and 11 other senators, to prevent passage of legislation that will infringe on all law-abiding Americans' constitutional rights. Legislation addressing the issue of gun violence must focus on keeping guns out of criminals' hands."

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/cruz-remains-committed-to-filibustering-gun-bill