Prediction - sometime after Thanksgiving a

[malaise]

ReTHUG senator will announce that he/she is an Independent

[BigmanPigman]

1. DO you have ESP OR were you tipped off?

Flake, Corner?

[malaise]

2. Neither

Rats always jump ship when they know it's going down.

[el_bryanto]

3. Seems possible

I guess though that if they want to do it after Thanksgiving they want press attention. Its possible they might do it now or hold off till around Christmas to minimize national attention while communicating loudly within the party.

Bryant

[FarCenter]

4. Senators are mostly independent now

Senators have their own PACs, supporters, social networks, etc. on which they depend for re-election. Party structure, backing, and discipline are extremely weak in the Senate.

They don't really need to drop the party designation, since that affects their committee assignments.