In the debt debate -- the one Democrats didn't want to have -- GOP senators are expected to offer amendments to end the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, as well as amendments on a budget-cutting package, on a deficit-control commission and other spending-related items.
"So days before the president's State of the Union, where he has said he is going to talk about getting the deficit under control, we are going to force a vote on raising the government's credit card limit because we are maxed out," says the Senate aide. "We're going to force them to vote on ending TARP, deficit control -- things they don't want to do. And it'll be on the first day back, when everybody's paying attention." Pretty damn good, I'd say.
So did McConnell surrender? It doesn't seem so. It was Reid who wanted to leave more than McConnell, and it was Reid who gave up something in order to get an earlier vote. McConnell didn't have much bargaining power -- no leader with just 40 votes would -- but he used it to get as much as he could.
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Senator McConnell.
Reid must be made to hold to his promise and I think they will adjourn tomorrow until January 20, 2009. Is that your understanding too?
McConnell will only look really bad if Byrd drops dead tomorrow afternoon.