Reid moves forward on reform: “The games of stalling are over”

Politico

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) placed a bet Thursday: call the roll on a Wall Street reform bill and at least one Republican will say aye.

Emboldened by public anger toward Wall Street, Democrats set the first key vote for Monday on a bill to rein in the financial industry — even though Reid lacks a bipartisan deal or any guarantee that he’ll get the crucial 60th vote needed to break a filibuster.

And if no Republican cracks, and the bill goes down, Reid is calculating that would be politically devastating for the GOP, because it would look like they’re standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the same Wall Street bankers many Americans blame for the recession.

“We have the upper hand,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a member of the Senate Democratic leadership.

“I’m not going to waste any more time of the American people until they come up with some agreement,” Reid said. “The games of stalling are over.”