Tales from the Trail

The suspense continues…

All eyes are on Senator Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican from Maine, who has not yet decided on how she will vote on financial regulatory reform.

Snowe’s could be the crucial 60th vote after Republican Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown said on Monday that he will support the bill.

On Saturday Snowe said she hadn’t decided and that the most important thing was “to get it right.” Her view had not changed so far today, a staffer tells me.

Republican Senator Judd Gregg told CNBC TV that he expected Democrats to win enough support to pass a broad financial regulation bill.

Democrats are closing in on that magic 60 votes needed in the Senate to clear a procedural hurdle after Brown said: ”While it isn’t perfect, I expect to support the bill when it comes up for a vote.” 

If they fail to gain Snowe’s support, the vote will likely have to wait for the governor of West Virginia, a Democrat, to name a Democrat to fill the late Senator Robert Byrd’s seat.

Snowe has a history of bucking her party line — she was the first Republican vote for healthcare reform last year.

So far on financial regulatory reform Snowe is still a big question mark and the suspense continues…

Photo credit: Reuters/Jason Reed (Snowe after committee healthcare vote Oct. 13, 2009)