In the last few weeks before the midterm elections, it looks as though the Democrats are playing Musical Chairs. But who's playing? And why?

The first move, a move that on the surface seems unlikely, was made by Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill. As we have noted previously, she met with Kansas Democrat Chad Taylor in order to encourage (or, if scuttlebutt is accurate, to strong arm) him to withdraw from the race. He was polling poorly against Republican incumbent Pat Roberts, and his remaining in the race would only serve to split the votes with independent candidate Greg Orman. With Taylor out of the race, polls suggest that Orman would pull most of the Democrat and Independent vote, giving him an edge over Roberts.

The second move was made just this morning by Attorney General Eric Holder when he announced his resignation. Theories abound as to why, and more specifically, why now? Many tie it to Fast and Furious. The investigation into Fast and Furious is hitting its stride, and Holder's resignation could serve to delay any major bombshells until after the crucial midterm elections.

But what if both AG Holder and Senator McCaskill are part of a much larger chess game, one that involves control of the Senate, the Department of Justice, and even the United States Supreme Court?

There have been rumors circulating for quite some time that Justice Ginsburg was considering retirement. In fact, she recently stated that she did not intend to retire because “the time was not yet right.” She cited an unfavorable Senate climate in regards to choosing her successor. But what if the sudden availability of Eric Holder makes this the “right time”? Republicans may be more concerned with winning a majority in the Senate than trying to block any Obama nominees, and the GOP is currently divided enough that any such attempts would only delay the inevitable – like recent filibusters staged by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rand Paul (R-KY).

Imagine, for just a moment, the following sequence of events:
Justice Ginsburg retires.
Eric Holder is appointed to the Supreme Court while the Democrats still hold a majority in the Senate.
Senator Claire McCaskill gets appointed as the next Attorney General, and can use her support for an Independent candidate to bolster claims that she is moderate (even though her 98% with Obama voting record says otherwise).
And then Claire McCaskill gets to appoint her successor to the Missouri Senate, a hand picked Democrat who will have four years to build name recognition before he or she is required to earn the seat.
And if her play to influence the Kansas Senate race is effective, the bonus is that they also take an incumbent seat away from the Republicans.

Makes Musical Chairs seem a bit more like Dirty Pool, doesn't it?