The Senate is back in session, and will probably be there into the wee hours. Reid just excoriated the Republicans up down and sideways for becoming another House of Representatives. Tacking on unrelated items to the Defense Appropriations Bill is not sitting well with Harry.
Never before has the Senate been subjected to such cynical ploys and strategems, with the rules changing in the middle of the game. Reid likened it to trying to play Monopoly with a bunch of kids.
As I understand it, the House hung an amendment to do with campaign finance "reform" on the Defense bill, like an ornament on a Christmas tree, that you can be sure has nothing to do with sound reform. The conference bills are signed off on, in good faith, by all the conferees, but the Republicans are sliding shit into important bills after the fact that could never stand on their own, and that never came up in conference. Oil drilling in Alaska has also been tied on like tin cans behind a car. Nothing new for the House, but the Senate, from what I've gleaned, hasn't been victimized in the same way.
Welcome to the Republican rules. After Reid finished his rant, he requested a quorum call. The camera pulled back, and you could see Reid and Frist in the center aisle, arguing rather bitterly, Reid waving his arms and gesticulating angrily.
More fireworks are certainly in the offing. If you can stand to see our Democracy being raped before your very eyes, tune into C-Span 2.