I declared on a recent Friday podcast that Don McLeroy’s confirmation as chairman of the State Board of Education was officially dead this session, but this afternoon Senate Nominations sent the controversial Bryan dentist’s confirmation to the Senate floor for a vote. So, to quote Billy Crystal’s character in “The Princess Bride,” McLeroy’s confirmation apparently was only mostly dead. The Statesman’s Ken Herman has posted a video of Nominations chair Mike Jackson explaining that McLeroy has been meeting with senators and has promises of support from 21 members.  That indicates the Democrats won’t be voting as a bloc as had previously been assumed because of McLeroy’s stances on evolution and global-warming. Most senators are in committee and unavailable for polling, but speculation in the Capitol is that some Senate Finance members have decided to vote with their chairman:  Steve Ogden is McLeroy’s senator.