Senate

It's too early to get our hopes up for sustained Senate bipartisanship, but just before 6 p.m. tonight, five Republicans joined 57 Democrats to invoke cloture on Senator Harry Reid's (D-NV) amendment to the House jobs bill, H.R.2847. Newly elected Scott Brown (R-MA), Kit Bond (R-MO), Sue Collins (R-ME), Olympia Snow (R-ME), and George Voinovitch (R-OH) voted with the Democrats. Ben Nelson (D-NE) was the only Democrat to vote with the Republicans. Not voting were Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), who is hospitalized for stomach cancer, and eight Republicans, who ducked the vote. So far, Reid's amendment would be limited to $12 b. FY10-FY12, and it's "paid for" over 10 years, but amendments could add to that, and it will grow larger in any compromise with the House's $65 b. FY10-FY19 bill.

 We certainly aren't acting like it. It's time to reflect when good people -- well liked on both sides of the aisle and certain to be reelected -- bow out. Senator Evan Bayh's (D-IN) retirement announcement today was a shocker. Read his statement. I would lift up: 

This is a big deal.

Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) will announce tomorrow that he will not run for reelection.

 
The retirement of a senator from a small state who is a member of the minority party and isn't the ranking member of a committee isn't generally nationally important news. But Hagel: