Maybe We Should Just Pretend

"We demand to be treated like little children!  Condescend!  Be more patronizing!"

Via Yglesias, that seems to be the message that movement conservatives, at least in the person of Erick Erickson, are sending to GOP Senators:

Elena Kagan is too radical for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.  Senators would be committing a high act of confirmation treason if they allow this nominee to go on the court without attempting to filibuster her nomination.

Of course, as I've pointed out again and again, Republicans are filibustering Kagan, in that as with all legislation and nominations they're demanding 60 votes for passage.  That's not at stake here.  Note that Erickson does not address his post to those marginal Senators likely to support Kagan (Snowe, Collins, the Benator).  No, he's making demands on mainstream conservatives, specifically that they go through the motions -- that they force a losing cloture vote, and perhaps read some recipes.  That's what he's asking, right?  For them to "attempt to filibuster." 

This is exactly the kind of demand-for-pretense that ruined Christmas week for a whole bunch of Senators and Senate staff, when talk show hosts insisted that Republicans use every possible parliamentary trick...to make sure that a bill that was going to pass either way passed on Wednesday, instead of Monday.   Hey, conservative rank-and-file: your leaders are playing you for saps.