The Republicans actually have a majority of the votes until January, we need to realize this

Reid had a razor thin majority to begin with, 51-49, and that included 2 independents. Obama resigned his Senate seat and Kerry is out sick until January. That is 49-49. Right now Kerry is overseas at the Global Warming conference, and I think Biden is trying to stay out of Senate business as VP-elect, although he would have voted if it mattered. In January the dems will have a pretty strong majority, but not until then.

I am not defending Reid as the majority leader, I really wish it was somebody else. However, he does not hold an edge on the votes right now, he doesn't even have 50. With Kerry out of the country, Reid has 48 votes, so 12 republicans would have to come over to get anything past cloture. When Kerry gets back, he would hold 49 votes, that would make it tied with the repubs.

In January, it will be a different story with a pretty strong dem majority. But right now, it isn't.

You mention Kerry twice. But I agree. The way things are now we have a tiny minority in the senate and the WH is hostile. When we get a supermajority in the house, 58-59 dem senators and a white house with a bully pulpit hopefully things will change. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to push healthcare & labor reform.

In January, hopefully we can get things done.

edited to add: Thanks for the correction :hi:

make them read the phone book on CSPAN trying to stop an essential and emotional topic till everybody see's them for what they are