Republican Bob Corker has played the role in Wall Street reform that Chuck Grassley/Olympia Snowe played in health reform. He's the reasonable one, sometimes even criticizing his own leadership for their rhetoric against the bill. Then he's the good Republican again, joining with this caucus in their short-lived filibuster.
He's in bad Republican mode as the final vote on the bill nears, and his caucus considers filibustering the final package. Corker's job is to provide the rationale for a filibuster, apparently, and it's back to the old it's not bipartisan enough saw. Corker told The Hill
“I think we all realize that there’s no real attempt for a bipartisan bill,” Corker (R-TN) said. “We’re outnumbered.” He said there may be a few Republicans who are satisfied with the bill but he’s “not going to vote for a bad bill.”
Which, the Wonk Room's Pat Garfalo details, is bullshit.
Dodd then included many of the provisions that he and Corker worked out when he brought his bill to committee markup. He also gave the Republicans ample opportunity to offer amendments during the markup, which the Republicans chose not to do. (Corker later called this a “major strategic error.”)
Even during the amendment process on the Senate floor, Republicans are getting a very fair shake. So far, the Senate has voted on 26 amendments. Of these, 14 were sponsored by Republicans, 9 were sponsored by Democrats/Independents, and 3 had a sponsor from both parties. So 17 of the 26 amendments had Republican backing:
Republican Amendments: Snowe #3755 (passed, voice vote); Snowe #3757 (passed, voice vote); Shelby #3826 (failed, 38-61); Ensign #3869 (failed, 35-59); Vitter #3760 (failed, 37-62); McCain #3839 (failed, 43-56); Corker #3955 (failed, 42-57); Snowe #3918 (passed, voice vote); Chambliss #3816 (failed, 39-59); Crapo #3992 (passed, voice vote); Lemieux #3774 (passed, 61-38); Sessions #3832 (failed, 42-58); Thune #3987 (failed, 40-55); Collins #3879 (passed, voice vote)
Democratic/Independent Amendments: Boxer #3737 (passed, 96-1); Brown #3733 (failed 33-61); Sanders #3738 (passed, 96-0); Dodd #3938 (passed, 63-36); Merkley #3962 (passed, 63-36); Reed #3943 (passed 98-1); Landrieu #3956 (passed, voice vote); Franken #3991 (passed, 64-35); Durbin #3989 (passed, 64-33);
Sponsor From Both Parties: Shelby-Dodd #3827 (passed 93-5); Tester-Hutchison #3749 (passed, 98-0); Hutchison-Klobuchar #3759 (passed, 90-9)
Thus far, 9 Republican-sponsored amendments have been accepted, as well as 11 Democratic sponsored amendments. And let’s not forget, Republicans spent three days filibustering the motion to simply start debate on the bill. Considering the circumstances, Dodd has been extremely accommodating.
In fact, when Dodd decided to begin admonishing other Senators about the plethora of amendments slowing down the bill, he went at members of his own party, dressing down Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)! There hasn’t been a peep about Sen. Jim DeMint’s (R-SC) attempt to bring up a completely unrelated amendment requiring completion of a border fence.
Under the circumstances--trying to get the strongest bill possible--less accommodation of Republicans and more of progressive Dems would seem in order.