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**Written by Doug Powers

Aw, it sounds like ol’ Harry’s starting to feel left out:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) confronted White House budget director Jack Lew during a Thursday afternoon meeting about secret talks on a deficit-reduction deal between the president and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).

“I’m the Senate majority leader — why don’t I know about this deal?” Reid demanded as soon as the budget director walked into the historic Mansfield Room for a meeting with Senate Democrats, according to a lawmaker who witnessed the exchange.

Lew shot back: “If there’s a deal, then the president doesn’t know about it, the vice president doesn’t know about it and I don’t know about it.”

A Senate Democratic aide confirmed the exchange took place.
[...]
“It was a heated session,” said a senior Democratic senator who attended the lunch. “There’s a basic lack of trust with the president.”

The lawmaker said the lack of trust stems from what they suspect are secret negotiations taking place between Obama and Boehner, without the input of Reid and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.).

“Harry’s not being included!” exclaimed the second senator.

Maybe Reid can rest easy — John Boehner called Rush Limbaugh Thursday and said there is no compromised deal with President Obama, publicly or privately (but Boehner’s mention of a “fallback plan” was troubling).

The Senate will vote on Cut, Cap and Balance sometime Friday morning. Reid said the bill is a waste of the Senate’s time (harsh words from somebody who once spent six minutes on the Senate floor talking about a football game) and “some of the worst legislation in the history of the country” — and this is from a guy who gave the green-light to Obamacare and the stimulus.

Side note: Reid had a much different opinion about a balanced budget amendment in the 1990′s.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

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Update: 10:57am Eastern…The Senate just voted down the House Cut Cap and Balance bill, 51-46. Reid danced on its grave, proclaiming it “over, dead, and done.” Back to the Democrat plan:

Nothing!

Update II (DP): Here’s Harry Reid’s plan: