We’ve compiled a handy-dandy chart to keep track of the Mukasey confirmation vote in the Senate. For now, we’ve started from the safe assumption that most Republican senators will back Mukasey. In the few instances where a GOP senator has expressed some concern or hesitation, we’ve labeled that senator as undecided. On the Democratic side, we’ve assumed a senator was undecided unless he or she had affirmatively stated their intent to vote against Mukasey.
We’ll be updating the chart as senators make their positions clear. There’s been waffling in some quarters (i.e., Specter, no surprise there), but until there’s an affirmative statement one way or the other on Mukasey, we’ll consider a senator undecided. Be on the lookout. If you come across a senator taking a position, shoot us an email with a cite, preferably a link, so we can track it down.
All that being said, if you take a look at the numbers as they stand now, confirmation still looks pretty likely. No Republicans have yet broken ranks, and that means only a few Democrats must defect for Mukasey to pull a majority on the Senate floor. So for all the murmurs this week about a real confirmation battle shaping up, I don’t see it. At least not yet.
Now the Judiciary Committee itself may be a different matter. The vote on Mukasey is scheduled for Tuesday. We’ll have more tomorrow on the mechanics of the Judiciary Committee vote and referral to the full Senate. Stay tuned.
