With Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) siding again with the Republicans, the Senate for the second time just failed to agree to start debate on Sen. Chris Dodd’s (D-Conn.) financial regulatory reform proposal. The vote, which is going through final processing right now, was 57 to 41, with 60 needed to break a Republican filibuster and proceed to formal consideration of the bill.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to continue holding these cloture votes every day in an attempt to show Republican obstinacy in the face of popular and necessary reforms.