Reid: Maybe More ACORN Amendments Would End the Unemployment Extension Slog

As the Senate idles awaiting a procedural vote on unemployment legislation — a vote that’s held up activity on all other pending legislation and nominations — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) this morning offered a solution that might speed things up: “Maybe [Republicans] needed another ACORN amendment,” Reid said, with no lack of sarcasm. “Maybe that would be something that would please them.”

The idea roused the interest of Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), who continued the improvised sketch before the empty chamber.

“I think it’s been a full two weeks since we’ve had an ACORN amendment on the floor,” Durbin said. “So clearly it’s time for us to move to one of the highest priorities many Republicans see in the nation. I wonder if we ought to consider more ACORN amendments in hopes of moving legislation.”

To be fair to Republicans, they insisted on an ACORN amendment as part of the unemployment bill for only a few weeks, dropping that demand more recently in favor of provisions to end the Wall Street bailout and fund the unemployment insurance extension using unspent stimulus money.

A cloture vote on the extension bill is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. today.