Don’t think the Republicans won’t try them. The process of choosing a new senator from MA is going to be complicated (via Steve Benen):
But the effort to find a quick replacement for Mr. Kennedy may prove complicated. In the week before his death, reaction in Boston to his request ranged from muted to hostile. The state’s Democrats found themselves in the awkward position of being asked to reverse their own 2004 initiative calling for special elections in such instances.
It would be a mistake to think that Senate Republicans won’t make the most of the the loss of one Democratic vote in the Senate. Remember: anything less than 60 votes for passage is nook-yoo-ler.