I think Greg Sargent nails his analysis of state of the nuclear option. The only thing I have to add is that, in doing this this way, Harry Reid is not bluffing. He may not be sure what cards are in his hand, but he is going ahead as if he has a straight flush. He’s betting that if the Republicans block any of his confirmation votes that he will have 50 votes to change the rules. He may not have the votes, but he (and we) will find out shortly unless the GOP backs down.
But, again, so far this is only for executive positions, not for judicial ones. While I consider that a big mistake, it is apparent that the votes aren’t there in the Democratic caucus to support such a bold move. Too bad.