Actually, not so much a response as an attempt to re-empt, since they released it before he started his press conference, but the Republicans' response is entirely predictable.
"A primary reason Harry Reid is one of the most endangered incumbents facing re-election in either party next year is due to the fact that he is viewed by many of his constituents as a partisan bully. His decision to write a health care bill behind closed doors, bow to pressure from the far left, and ram this bill through the Senate will only further cement that negative image.
"It also reaffirms the importance of restoring checks-and-balances in Washington next year. As Democrats prepare to run up the national credit card even higher, it's clear they didn't learn a thing from the failed stimulus boondoggle. They are attempting to spend their way out of our nation's economic crisis with little thought or regard to the debt being passed on to future generations.
"One thing is clear though - Harry Reid and his Democrat colleagues who decide to bow to pressure from the left and continue to rubber-stamp this liberal, partisan agenda of Washington-run health care and reckless government spending will be held accountable by voters next November."
Those mean Democrats, trying to force a bill on those Republicans, who've been totally willing partners just waiting to participate in reform, if only Democrats would just let them.
I don't know if even Republicans are going to buy that. Not only is healthcare reform with a public option supported by the majority of the mainstream of Americans, Nevada is solidly pro-public option.
There's going to be a major effort by Republicans, and the cable chatterers who like to parrot their talking points, that Reid is being highly partisan and caving to the left. It's not going to fly, not with the polling we've seen on reform and the public option. And when even a Washington insider like Howard Fineman calls bullshit on the myth of bipartisanship, it won't work with the American people.