Could we see a defection?

Ten days ago, as the long Republican war on the ACA was winding down toward this week's ignominious fizzle-out, RedState denounced Republican Senators Murkowski and Capito as scoundrels, hypocrites, turncoats, etc., etc., etc., and the fury at those among their own ranks who were keeping repeal short of the magic 51 votes seemed deep and heartfelt in the wackier wilds of wingnuttia.  After the collapse of "skinny repeal", I've seen a similar groundswell of hatred against dissidents McCain, Collins, and Murkowski again.

Murkowski, in fact, came under Twitter fire from Trump himself, while his Interior Secretary rather crudely hinted at retaliation against her actual state.  This turned out to be yet another rookie blunder by the administration -- not only did the threat undermine its own fossil-fuel policy in Alaska, but Murkowski has already fired a retaliatory warning shot at the Interior Department, over which her position in the Senate gives her considerable power.  You can't bully someone into being a team player, especially when that someone is strong enough to hit back.

Could Murkowski be coaxed into switching parties?  She was said to be furious about the ham-handed pressure.  She firmly supports funding Planned Parenthood, anathema to orthodox Republicans.  And she's defied the party before; in 2010, after being successfully primaried by a teabagging wingnut who thus became the official Republican Senate candidate, she ran an independent write-in campaign and beat him, keeping her seat.

It could be objected that switching parties would be foolish since Alaska is such a red state.  But incumbents tend to win, and Murkowski has been in office since 2002.  She's not up for re-election until 2022, anyway.  It's just a question of how annoyed she is at the Trump gang's bullying, and what she really thinks of her party's increasingly reactionary stances on issues like reproductive freedom.  If the Democrats are on the ball, they'll be quietly offering encouragement.

The Republicans shouldn't complain if we trim down their majority a bit.  They don't seem to be using it.