Harry Reid, Occasional Leader

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid(D-NV) told Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus(D-MN) to "stop chasing Republican votes on a massive health care reform bill."

I have not understood Sen. Baucus' fetish for a bi-partisan bill.  Perhaps, in the some odd-chance someone who understand the interpersonal relationships in the Senate reads my blog, someone could explain why Senator Baucus could not sit down with Sen. Charles Grassley(R-IA) the Ranking Member of the Finance Committtee and say, "Senator Grassley I can't compromise without bringing down all sorts of fury on my head and the same goes for you.  I will keep us from having to go through a painful series of compromises.  I have the votes to pass health care reform out of the committee.  Democrats will vote for it and Republicans will vote against it.  That way everyone knows who is responsible for the success or failure of health care reform and they can act accordingly at the ballot box."