In addition to the two options you mentioned (voting "Yes" or filibustering) he could have voted "No" or abstained. I'm going to give him the benefit of the do

In addition to the two options you mentioned (voting "Yes" or filibustering) he could have voted "No" or abstained. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt here and assume that he was actually convinced by the merits of the bill, at least as a general compromise on some very difficult issues. If he genuinely thought it was as terrible a bill as some people here do, he would have voted "No" and used it as a weapon against McCain.