Pat Roberts Wavers on Nuclear Option

The Kansas City Star reports this morning that influential Republican senator Pat Roberts, chair of the Intelligence Committee, has "expressed doubt" about the efficacy of the nuclear option. "What goes around comes around," Roberts told the Star in an interview last week, echoing the argument made by John McCain and others that someday the GOP will be back in the minority. The paper said Roberts "declined to say how he would vote" if the nuclear option comes to the floor, adding that he thought it is "not in the best interests of either party or the Senate to take this step."

Roberts now moves into the 'undecided' category, joining John Warner, Mike DeWine, Susan Collins, John Sununu, Chuck Hagel, Lisa Murkowski, and Arlen Specter. McCain, Chafee and Snowe are considered safe 'no' votes if the measure comes up for a vote. Of course, I still hold out hope that a compromise can be reached, as I discussed yesterday; Senator Roberts' concerns make that all the more likely.

Tip to TPM's Josh Marshall for this.