First, we had the Baucus Compromise, a sort of one-man Gang of Fourteen operation, to split the difference (some difference!) and leave some of the tax unrepealed to get it through.

Now, we're told that Kyl is

is urging a tactical retreat because he believes that support for permanent repeal is eroding at a time of big budget deficits. And he fears that the political climate would be even less hospitable after the 2006 elections if Democrats win control of either the House or the Senate.

"Our political position could be dramatically negatively impacted this fall and after the next presidential election," Kyl said recently.

My, what a Nervous Nellie the guy is! Are we sure he's not a Dem?

On cloture, he's nothing if not downbeat:

Lobbyists seeking repeal say they are within a vote or two of getting the 60 votes they need. But Kyl and other allies are not so sure.

"We do not have the votes," Kyl told repeal supporters recently. "I'm trying to come up with [an alternative] because of the fact that time is limited here. Our position is eroding."

Of course he says he hasn't got the votes!

To lull the Dems (some task that!), to make passage seem superhuman (and superhumans deserve super-contributions, natch!), CYA for possible failure, keeping potential GOP waverers in line with the fear that their's might be the key vote which kills the bill.

Some lefties are intent on spoiling Kyl's fun. Robert Kuttner says in a piece in Saturday's Globe that

Republicans are confident that at least three other Democrats would follow Baucus's lead --Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, and Bill Nelson of Florida. Several other Democrats are still undecided on whether to hand the wealthiest one percent of Americans an even bigger break, at cost to fiscal solvency. The Republicans, with 55 senators, need at least five Democrats to help them get cloture on this vote.

The other shaky Democrats include Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell of Washington state. Cantwell was a well-off high-tech executive. Murray got elected as an ordinary mom "in tennis shoes" who spoke for the common citizen. From 2001 to 2003, she chaired the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, courting wealthy donors.

Who exactly needs Cantwell and Murray to support another huge tax cut for the wealthiest? Their own families? Campaign contributors?

Three other wavering Democrats are Ken Salazar of Colorado, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and Mark Pryor of Arkansas. These "red" states are conservative on social issues, but what does their average citizen gain from estate-tax repeal?

I hope that's Uncle Harry using the old reverse psychology, and that he's rolled enough logs so that all these potential apostates will revert to the true faith like magic when the roll call starts.

I don't believe any of it. But I hope the Dem abaci are in better working order than during the Alito filibuster-by-phone fiasco.

(Uncle Harry, be it said, was adamant from the get-go that there weren't the votes. Durbin, I think it was, who mentioned a ridiculous number - 33? - and got bloggo hearts a flutter. Twat.)