There’s a lot of theories out there as to why Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tossed out a deal reached by Montana Democratic Sen. Max Baucus and Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley and replaced it with a stripped-down version. Time tries to pin down Reid’s thinking and writes that “everyone agrees” he could have handled the situation better. What to expect now:
The $15 billion bill would be the first in a series of smaller jobs measures Reid plans to roll out in the place of a single overarching one. The idea is to force Republicans to take a series of tough votes against generally popular measures like the tax cuts, extension of unemployment and health benefits, and popular business tax credits originally included in Baucus and Grassley’s plan. To prevent GOP foot-dragging that has plagued Democratic measures all year, Reid prevented amendments from being filed to his stripped-down bill — a controversial move at a time when the White House is touting bipartisanship.