1. Very interesting. AE keeps smoldering in the background. I think the Republicans have a point, but would be surprised if AE didn’t vet this out in advance.

   With that said I hope Angus King kicks ass in Maine and that he becomes the deciding senatorial vote in who leads the 2013 senate in case of a 50 – 49 caucus breakdown after the election.

2. 1 –

   Why? What do you think he will do and demand in return? He hasn’t answered the question, as far as I know.

3. If King is elected, is this the start of removing the majority in Congress?

4. 3 –

   Not sure what you mean by “removing the majority,” but regardless of how you meant it, the short answer is probably …”No.”

   Election of one or more independents will not change the fact that the party caucuses will still determine committee compositions and chairs, and the Senate will still have its 60 vote cloture rule, which will allow effortless “filibusters” to prevail. In fact the only way that election of independent Senators would change that, ironically, would be if another 58 or more were elected and they then worked together rather than independently to change the Senate rules.

5. #2 TrueFoe,

   I don’t think he’ll demand anything in return for who he caucuses with. He has repeatedly said nothing about who he will caucus with and I believe him. It is refreshing that voters will have to vote for the man not the party affiliation which there is none.

   He will simply be a strong independent that will be able to control the power faucet over which party gets “majority” status for the purposes of the organizing of the senate. And he will hold that power most likely for the next two years unless a senatorial party change takes place).

   That’s a nice place for an independent to be in my opinion.

6. #4 – So lets say 10 independent senators could not cause different issue coalitions to pass a law?

7. 6 – You might ask Olympia Snowe that question.

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