Reid, McConnell still at it today

By Lisa Mascaro

Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008 | 10:17 a.m.

WASHINGTON — If they keep at it, the Senate is going to start beating out midday soaps for best daytime TV drama.

Here’s what went down this morning if you weren’t being a junkie over on C-Span2.

Frustrated with the legislative logjam, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stepped up to his podium and made the unusual move of calling on the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate to request the presence of all members to the chamber.

The order was sent out — and one by one, 85 of the 100 senators filed inside. (It also would have been easy to miss Reid’s order — he was not fulfilling his New Year’s resolution to speak loudly when he uttered the dramatic request.)

Once Reid had them all assembled, he used the dramatic moment to call attention to what he called the “Orwellian talk” coming from Republicans who say they want to move forward on two contentious bills but keep stalling.

It’s come to this. Reid and the Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, picked up where they left off last night – slinging barbs over whether Democrats or Republicans are playing games with the nation’s business.

The two are at a standoff over two key pieces of legislation that need to quickly pass out of the chamber — the Senate’s version of the Bush-Congress economic stimulus package and the contentious wiretapping bill that expires (again) a week from Friday.

McConnell said Democrats are holding up Americans’ rebate checks so they can force Republicans into casting uncomfortable votes on the Democratic version of the bill.

Reid countered that Republicans are obstructing because some believe an economic stimulus package is unnecessary or filled with too many extras, like extended unemployment benefits and help for poor people to pay home heating bills.

The reality is a little of both: Reid is forcing Republicans into tough votes, and Republicans are hoping to run out the clock to extract the best deal in the 11th hour.

Reid asked for consensus to move forward on the wiretapping bill today while talks continue on the stimulus package.

McConnell refused, saying the two issues are linked and will go forward once an agreement is reached that allows the rights of the minority to be preserved.

And then the stately Senate returned to its regularly scheduled business: Senators broke for lunch.