Lets not get hung-up on the figure 60 senators..

[samrock]

Even IF we got to 60 democratic senators it does not mean every bill the majority of democrats want passed will breeze through.. Remember Joe Lieberman is 1 of the 60 as are a few conservative/moderate democratic senators.. The point is even if the final numbers are 57-58 there will a WORKING majority with the 2 Maine Republican lady senators and a few other republicans to pass most all that President Obama wants passed.. Not many senators will want to be the reason he is not able to pass what he wants.. with his gift for speaking and using the bully pulpit there is NO WAY the republicans will step in front of his runaway freight train and try to derail his bills.. I just HOPE they can come up with good, workable ideas to get us out of this mess.. HELL if 8 years of Obama did nothing more that get the country back to where it was on Jan unary 19th 2001 it would be a HUGE success....

[Juche]

1. 58 is probably good enough

If Begich keeps up his lead we have 58 even if Franken loses. I think GA is a lost cause myself, but could be wrong.

Even so there is always 2010, when all the senators elected in 2004 with Bush's coattails come up for reelection. At least 5 were elected by less than 5% (consider that alot of GOP senators lost 15-20 points from 2002-2008 when they were reelected). If the GOP filibusters every attempt to get this economy back on track or get healthcare to everyone, 2010 will be a bigger massacre than 2008.

[customerserviceguy]

4. There are some massively vulnerable Repuke seats

in the 2010 US Senate elections, and no Democratic vulnerabilities that I can think of. Maybe the Supreme Court Justices thinking about retiring can hang on for another couple of years.

President Obama is going to be quite successful in using the bully pulpit to keep filibusters down in the next couple of years, but he'll be bulletproof after 2010.

[johnaries]

2. We need to make the filibuster strategy backfire on the Repukes.

The country wants and needs change. The country wants legislation to fix the problems. We simply need to expose the Republicans as the obstructionists they are. They are struggling and they know it. If they realize the obstructionist policy isn't working, they will drop it.

[eleny]

3. We should try to get as many as possible

I urge people to give to Martin's campaign to get that poisonous Republican, Chambliss, out of the Congress.

It's not about the numbers it's about who holds the office and can help shape policy by their work in Congress.

[Warpy]

5. As long as we're cursed with Blue Dogs

we're not going to get a filibuster proof majority, no matter how Lieberman gets his ass kissed.

Consider also that there's a division in the GOP between the bitter greedhead ideologues and the people who are there to do a job. Many of the former were thrown out of office. The ones who remain will be sour and largely powerless even if Lieberman doesn't get his ass kissed to his satisfaction and joins the GOP caucus.

[Juche]

6. Blue dogs still support dem causes

They may oppose progressives on foreign policy and may be more fearful of public ownership but they should be reliable for issues involving unions, social security, tax reform, global warming & energy, SCHIP, min. wage, holding committees, etc.

A blue dog who can be relied upon 70% of the time is a far better politician than a GOP wingnut who can be relied upon 5% of the time.