Going nuclear for Janice Brown

Robert Novak, the Republican columnist with perhaps the best sources in Washington, writes that the nuclear option will be used to confirm Janice Brown sometime next month.

The "nuclear option," as discussed previously here on NN, would defeat a filibuster by asking the chair (Dick Cheney, as president of the Senate) for a ruling on whether the filibuster applies to debates on judicial nominees. If the chair rules that it does not, then the Democrats must get 51 votes to overturn that decision. Instead of the 60 votes required for cloture (to end debate and take a vote), this measure only requires 50 Republicans to uphold the ruling of the chair.

Needless to say, this will not help the President find support for Social Security and tax code reform. I wonder if it isn't a bluff.