According to the Senate's website, the 51-48 vote on today's Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to Consider H.R.800 (the Employee Free Choice Act) was essentially a party-line vote, with Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) the only Republican voting in favor of cloture. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), a co-sponsor of the Senate version of the bill, was the only Senator not voting. Four members of the Democratic caucus -- Ben Nelson (D-NE), Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR), and Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) -- declined to co-sponsor the Senate version, but all four of them voted for cloture.

While there could be additional cloture votes on H.R. 800, proceedings under S. 1041, or any number of other maneuvers designed by clever legislative strategests, it seems unlikely that the Senate leadership will choose to spend additional time on an idea that will not pass under the Senate's current configuration.

In the moments after the roll call vote was announced, labor and its allies seemed to turn their focus to changing the Senate's configuration.

The Daily Kos website immediately posted: "Let's see how our "moderate" Republican friends in Minnesota, Oregon, New Hampshire, and Maine do with the unions in 2008." The website provided links to internet fundraising sites to allow readers to "send a message to so called 'moderate' Republican Senators up for re-election that voting against the EFCA is voting against the interests of working class people."

Senator Sue Collins: Voted NO
Help Defeat Her

Senator Norm Coleman: Voted NO
Help Defeat Him

Senator Gordon Smith: Voted NO
Help Defeat Him

Senator John Sununu: Voted NO
Help Defeat Him

Senator Libby Dole: Voted NO
Help Defeat Her

Senator James Inhofe: Voted NO
Help Defeat Him

Senator Ted Stevens: Voted NO
Help Defeat Him

Senator Lamar Alexander: Voted NO
Help Defeat Him

Senator Mitch McConnell: Voted NO
Help Defeat Him

Senator Jeff Sessions: Voted NO
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Senator Pete Domenici: Voted NO
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The AFL-CIO's blog summed things up thusly:

On a vote of 51-48, the Senate voted for cloture, that is, shutting off debate. Sixty votes were needed to invoke cloture and end the debate and move to a vote on the bill. So even though a majority of the Senate voted for cloture, a small group of Republicans denied workers a free choice to join a union.

We make two observations at this point. First, when labor's allies immediately threaten all-out political war against United States Senators who disagree with them, is it hard to understand why some might be worried about union intimidation of an average worker who might not want to sign an authorization card? Second, when labor refers to 48% as a "small group," isn't it reasonable to question the reliability of other statistics it might cite?