Going around and coming around

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his Democratic colleagues now loudly complain that minority Republicans have blocked their agenda through the use of threatened filibusters and other procedural tactics.

This is their explanation of why they've been able to get almost nothing done since seizing Congress in the 2004 elections -- and why Congress' approval rating remains at record low levels.

Of course, Sen. Reid's lament is somewhat amusing. Didn't Democrats take unprecedented steps as the minority party to scuttle White House initiatives and to stop many Bush judicial nominees from ever even receiving a vote on the Senate floor?

Apparently, it's come as quite a shock to Sen. Reid that his party's own playbook could one day be used against him.

Live and learn, perhaps.

Or maybe not.

For the second time in six weeks, Sen. Reid has employed a unique approach to ensure that the president can't bypass the Senate confirmation process through recess appointments -- temporary executive branch appointments the Constitution allows the White House to make when the Senate is not in session.

During Thanksgiving break, Sen. Reid had one of his members gavel the Senate in and out of session, meaning the upper chamber was never technically adjourned -- thus, no recess appointments.

During turkey time, this was seen as somewhat unusual. But, according to The Washington Post, "Associate Senate Historian Donald A. Ritchie said that, as far as he knows, this is the first time the Senate has held pro forma meetings after a session for the express purpose of blocking appointments. ... The question is whether this becomes a permanent shift."

Wouldn't President Hillary like to know? Perhaps she should ask Sen. Reid.