Those who are focusing on what the Republicans are planning, such as the ludicrous idea of suing the president for allegedly failing to submit to Congress an agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran, are missing the point. The game now is to presume unanimous Republican support for any bill that the White House opposes and to get a sufficient number of Democrats who are nervous about their vote on Thursday to sign on to something approximating Cardin's bill, including at least a couple of its numerous "poison pills," to ensure a veto-proof majority.

Note, for example, AIPAC's "victory" statement to its membership after Thursday's vote (a good example of trying hard to squeeze lemonade out of lemons) in which it looks forward to what it calls: