Reid Threatens To Be Next Grinch, Scrooge, Whatever

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says he hopes to wrap up work for the year by Dec. 21, but he warned that he would bring the Senate in Christmas week if needed.

"We would like to finish the work of this body by two weeks from Friday [Dec. 7]. That's our goal," Reid said on the floor just now. "I hope we can do that. I hope we don't have to work - we're not going to work on Christmas - but I hope we don't have to work Christmas week."

Reid's warning came as he and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) were jousting over completing work on outstanding 2008 spending measures, the Farm Bill, energy legislation, FISA, the  AMT "patch" and a $200 billion supplemental wartime spending package.

McConnell, though, cautioned that he would not agree to adjourn for the year without the Iraq funding, linking its passage to any global deal on appropriations bills.

Reid, for his part, also reiterated that he can't boss around House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), although it wasn't clear who was exactly suggested that he could.

"I can't control Speaker Pelosi," Reid said. "She is a strong, independent woman."