Reid to Republicans: Horse feathers!

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid on Monday directed a message to Republicans who might stand in the way of upcoming legislation: Horse feathers!

As the Senate returned from a two-week break with a full schedule of work ahead, the Senate majority leader from Nevada channeled that Marx Brothers movie from 1932 -- another era when the country was in a deep economic slump.

"The film starts with a song that could just as easily have been written by today’s obstructionists," Reid said. "Groucho Marx sang: ‘I don’t know what they have to say / It makes no difference anyway / Whatever it is, I’m against it!’"

“The lyrics were a hit in Hollywood, and that where they should stay," Reid said. “Nearly eight decades later, in the face of familiar troubles, we cannot afford to say no because it is easier than doing the hard work of making life better for struggling families."

Only three Senate Republicans and none in the House voted for President Barack Obama's stimulus plan.

More recently, Reid added some Republicans are blocking Obama's choice of Christopher Hill to become ambassador to Iraq, and also several top Justice Department appointees.

Reopening the Senate, Reid said "the earliest signs" of economic recovery have been spotted in job creation and education and health care improvements in a handful of states.

“We have seen promising progress and are beginning to see a return on the investments we made in our economic recovery plan," Reid said. "But we are still far closer to the starting line than the finish.

“I am confident that the steps we have taken this year to address these crises will ultimately anchor our recovery. But as I visited with Nevadans over the past couple of weeks, one message became clear: We must keep going. We must do more. The hole we’ve inherited from George W. Bush is deep, and our long climb back up has just begun."

Reid said in the weeks ahead the Senate will take up a bill to strengthen penalties against financial fraud, and another, more controversial measure that would allow federal judges to adjust troubled mortgages for families that file for bankruptcy.

President Barack Obama's request for an additional $85 billion for military and diplomatic efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan also is on the schedule, he said.

“I still hold the hope that we will see the bipartisan cooperation necessary to fulfill the rest of our obligation to the American people." Reid said. "I still believe we can put aside our political differences and put them first."