Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has circumvented the Senate majority leader to obtain guarantees from two Democrat senators that they will vote with Republicans to keep the legislative filibuster threshold. But he warned of a “scorched earth” Senate if the rule is not kept. With no commitment from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to keep the filibuster rule, McConnell took the word of two Democrats who have said they will honor the 60-vote filibuster rule, but warned his colleagues what could happen if the pledge is not honored. “Rather than relying on the Democratic leader, I took the discussion directly to his members. Basic arithmetic now ensures that there are not enough votes to break the rule,” McConnell said, according to his spokesman David Popp. “Our colleague informed me directly that under no circumstances would she reverse course,” another spokesman cited McConnell as saying. The filibuster requires 60 …