Dear Democratic Senators opposed to real filibuster reform,
I believe there maybe one point that you are overlooking -- If you oppose reform, we don't need you anymore (and voting against you can no longer hurt us). Let me explain ...
Firstly, the institution known as the Senate is fundamentally broken.
I believe it is anti-democratic, a bastion of the wealthy and well connected, and no longer serves any strong compelling national interest (it used to represent the state governments, but with the advent of direct election no longer does). But argue with that as you may, it is undeniable that the Senate has become dysfunctional (as in not functioning) because of the abuse of the filibuster that has escalated over time culminating in the last two years of near total paralysis. Clearly something needs to be done.
My personal opinion is that any vote requirements beyond simple majority that are not specifically laid out in the Constitution are unconstitutional, but hidebound traditionalists aren't ready to acknowledge that and so we get the recent spate of proposals that maintain the 60 vote filibuster while tinkering around the margins. And now, all indications are that the senate Dems aren't even going to bother with the tinkering around the margins. Uhm ... I think you are missing something fundamental!
My senator (Sen. McCaskill of MO) is one of these people who are resisting significant reform (I don't know why, and she certainly won't tell, but its pretty clear that she is one of these people refusing to cooperate behind the scenes since the closest she comes to discussing this topic is to suggest that we should eliminate anonymous holds - as though that were possible in the absence of actual filibuster reform - see Jed's front page posts for that discussion).
Here is what Sen. McCaskill and others like her are missing.
IF YOU DON'T REFORM THE FILIBUSTER, WE DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE
The math is simple: We need 60 votes to pass legislation, but we only need 41 votes to block legislation. Currently we have 52-53 Dem votes, so unless you do something to change the affirmative vote threshold I have no incentive to help you in any way, since it is very, very unlikely that the number of Democratic Senators will drop below 41.
So bottom line, unless you make the marginal 55th or 58th vote meaningful - I don't care if you get re-elected because you don't matter. Right now only the marginal 43rd, 44th, and 61st, 62nd votes actually matter and Senator McCaskill (whether you are opposed to reform or not)- you must understand that you aren't any of those.
Good luck in 2012,
A Missouri voter