Reply #24: Absolutely agree, but...

[Inuca]

.... it still implies a significant fracture within the caucus, with Kerry (and most likely Durbin + others) on one side, and Reid on the other. NOT a good thing at all. I am ambivalent about Reid, he grew on me, and I find his various tactics and subtle manipulations, to the extent that I understand them, intellectually appealing and often quite effective. On the other hand.... I disliked the famous agreement of the 14 from the very beginning. I was hoping that there was something there that I did not understand, because the way I saw it the Dems either were tricked into giving quite a lot away for practically nothing, or were simply afraid of the nukular thingy (and maybe rightfully so, I don't know) and accepted a semi-honorable way out of the impasse. If the 7 dems signed on that without Reid's OK, he didi not do his job right. 7 out of 44 is pretty high percentage. Anyway... I am rambling... frustrating... I have work to do, and cannot put my mind into it.