Saxby Chambliss’ flattening of Jim Martin, 57-43, Tuesday night in Georgia ensured the Democrats cannot get to a filibuster-proof 60 votes in the Senate, but what else did it do? It changed the cost-benefit analysis for Democratic senators on jumping into the fray for Al Franken, whose close battle with Norm Coleman is meeting with mixed results in the courts, leading to speculation that the Democratic senate might decide the issue, ala Wyman vs. Durkin. It’s hard to imagine Obama, invested enough in his post-partisan image that he wouldn’t risk it to stump for Martin, wanting the Senate to go to the mats for a 59th vote in what would surely be perceived as partisan overreach. Democratic senators up for reelection in 2010 will have to wonder whether gaining a foul-mouthed comedian through aggressive means will help their fortunes, especially when Chambliss’ victory shows that Obama’s coattails are shrinking:
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