This Political Spin Was 180 Degrees

Who says that the Democrats aren't politically nimble, that they can't turn on a dime? Consider the pirouettes Wednesday by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.).

The duo were having a magnificent time berating Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) for wasting days of the Senate's time on "political" issues such as estate tax repeal, flag burning and same-sex marriage, rather than working on college tuition, gas prices and especially stem cell research.

Had the stem cell research bill, "passed by the House in a bipartisan way, . . . been sitting on the Senate calendar for more than one year as we meet today?" Durbin asked his partner.

"Thirteen and a half months," Reid said.

"Have the Democrats . . . asked" that it be acted on? Durbin asked.

"We have begged," Reid said. "I have been begging [Frist] to move this matter forward because people at home are crying for hope."

The tag team blasted "do-nothing" Republicans for 24 minutes on the Senate floor. Then an aide handed Reid an e-mail that Frist's office had sent 25 minutes before the Democratic assault.

"The Senate will take up the three stem cell bills on Monday, July 17," Reid read aloud.

"There's tremendous promise in stem cell research," Frist said in the e-mail, "and I've worked long and hard with my colleagues to bring this serious ethical issue to the floor in a way that encourages thoughtful discussion and deliberation."

"That is really good news," Reid said, "and I compliment and applaud the majority leader for allowing us this next week to go to stem cell research."

"Despite the fact that we've been pushing for a year," Durbin said, "I want to . . . congratulate Senator Frist. This is a bipartisan bill."

As Emily Litella would say: "Never mind."