Reid and Pelosi Back Down

[Geee]

National Review:

Elections have consequences. The consequences of the 2010 elections — and one might add the 2009 elections in New Jersey and Virginia, and the January 2010 special Senate election in Massachusetts — became clear as lights shined over the snow at both ends of the Capitol on Thursday night.

At the north end of the Capitol, Senate majority leader Harry Reid abruptly withdrew the 1,924-page omnibus spending bill he had submitted two days before. Reid had hoped that the $8 billion worth of earmarks, including some for Republicans, would provide the Republican votes to pass a bill that financed Obamacare and otherwise furthered Democratic policy goals well into the next calendar year.

But minority leader Mitch McConnell was able to persuade Republican appropriators not to swallow the bait. Democrats might have gotten their pet provisions through if they had submitted and passed appropriations bills earlier in the year.

But having failed to follow regular legislative order, they were caught defying the will of the voters so clearly expressed in November. Reid’s ploy collapsed.