Sometimes in the Senate, even when leaders of the majority party know that they are short on votes to push ahead with a certain bill, it still gets brought up for a cloture vote.

That's the story today with a bill from Democrats on campaign fundraising, as they will bring up a measure that is basically an effort to undo part of a recent Supreme Court decision which basically allows unlimited corporate and union influence in elections.

The House passed a different version of the Senate bill earlier this summer, but Democrats have not been able to attract Republican votes, so this bill is not expected to get 60 votes.

So why force a procedural vote that you are going to lose?  Because it allows you to check the box and tell your supporters that you tried.

And it allows the President to weigh in on the matter as well, letting him deliver a few verbal shots at Republicans.

"On issue after issue, we keep trying to move America forward, and they keep trying to take us back," the President told an audience in the White House Rose Garden.

Look for more of that this week, as one would expect Democrats will try to cast the GOP as the people who are blocking just about every bill that would help the voters.

It's a logical political argument and strategy at this point.  Whether it works, is a whole different story.

A main theme of Democrats has been that Republicans are the party of 'No', which is usually the moniker attached to the minority, no matter which party occupies that vaunted status.

Democrats really thought they had the chance to get this legislation through - heck - they even cut a deal with the National Rifle Association to get it through the House.

But this plan is going nowhere.