Everyone seems to be freaking out about the Senate seat in Georgia, which, if it went Democratic, would give the party the "filibuster-proof" majority.
That presupposes that every Republican senator would hew to party lines and that every Democrat would do so as well.
Neither is going to happen, although there is a very real possibility that the Dems would be more united.
However, every poll says that the Republicans will have a tougher time making their votes stick.
Come with me on the flip.
This is the list of Senators facing re-election in 2010:
Shelby (R-AL)
Murkowski (R-AK)
McCain (R-AZ)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Boxer (D-CA)
Salazar (D-CO)
Dodd (D-CN)
Martinez (R-FL)
Isakson (R-GA)
Inouye(D-HI)
Crapo (R-ID)
Bayh (D-IN)
Grassley (R-IA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Vitter (R-LA)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Bond (R-MO)
Reid (D-NV)
Gregg (R-NH)
Schumer (D-NY)
Burr (R-NC)
Dorgan (R-ND)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Coburn (R-OK)
Wyden (D-OR)
Specter (R-PA)
DeMint (R-SC)
Thune (R-SD)
Bennett (R-UT)
Leahy (D-VT)
Murray (D-WA)
Feingold (D-WI)
Of these, Gregg (NH), Burr (NC), Specter (PA), and Voinovich (OH) are all Republicans in states that went for Obama. They are going to have to play the game. No filibusters. Add to them Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, whose constituents are more left-of-center, and you have pretty much a filibuster-proof majority. Lieberman is reduced to a yes man.
It would be nice if we got Jim Martin in the Senate, but, all things considered, it doesn't matter. We have a filibuster-proof majority already.